Transformers: The Fall of Nexus
by Athe0n
Summary: Earth has fallen to the Decepticons, and humanity now serves as an important purpose to their cause. Starscream begins to doubt Megatron's goals, developing an unlikely relationship with one of the human captives in the process. A rebellion soon ensues as he realizes he no longer knows where his true loyalties lie. (S.S x OC.)
1. Into Oblivion

**Title: Transformers: The Fall of Nexus**

 **Summary: Short-tempered and cynical to a fault, but what more could be expected from a young woman bound to servitude at the cost of her dignity and freedom? Upon meeting a certain alien robot, the pair develop an unlikely relationship as she does the unexpected and saves his life.** **Adventure begins when they team up to fulfil their own ambitions.**

 **Characters/Pairing: Starscream/Bumblebee x Teegan (OC), Jazz x Zara (OC), Megatron, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Rumble, Frenzy, Soundwave, Barricade, Shockwave, Arcee, Ratchet, Ultra Magnus, Mirage, lots of others.**

 **Rating: M - rated for some graphic detail and language, violence, sexual violence, self-harm.**

 **Additional Tags: Unrequited crush, Developing friendships, Master/Slave,** **Betrayal, Rebellion, Original character death(s), Uneasy allies, Self-Sacrifice, Emotional baggage, Reconciliation, Denial of feelings, First kiss, Interspecies relationship(s), Interspecies romance, slow burn, Trine bromance.**

 **A/N: In this story, Starscream resembles the IDW version designed by the wonderfully talented Sarah Stone. I also imagine him having the voice of FOC Starscream. Also on A03 if anyone is interested in reading it there. Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own Transformers or any affiliated characters. I own my personal characters and the plot of this story.**

* * *

 **Prologue** :

* * *

The entire city as far as the eye could see was ablaze.

The skies remained empty. Devoid of winged life. Smog, saturated with the stench of burning tarmac and incinerated flesh suspended above the gutted remains of the few residual buildings stood within the distance.

Vehicles stood motionless; their doors left wide. Abandoned by those who had attempted to flee the City.

The majority, sadly, didn't succeed.

But there were those who'd sworn to protect us. Whose self-imposed duty it was to ensure humankind didn't fall victim to the barbarity of those known as the Decepticons.

Autonomous, robotic organisms, capable of disguising themselves among Earth's various, everyday objects.

Overlooked by the billions of the planet's occupants.

Until the war began.

With outbreaks of unexplained, widespread violence and bloodshed becoming more frequent, cover-up became increasingly difficult for the Government to establish.

The truth that had been withheld from the public eye for so long was at last exposed as the Decepticons assaulted and quickly overwhelmed the City of New York.

Following the death of their benevolent leader, Optimus Prime, and a year-long battle lost, the Autobots retreated, abandoning humanity and leaving it to its grim fate.

They failed to protect us, and in turn, those that remained were wasted and slain as Decepticon tyranny was finally free to spread like a plague across all continents of the world.

Cybertron still lying dormant, it will remain so forever, unless the Decepticons can obtain that which will ensure its restoration.

With a society shattered and forgotten, and the ground stained with the blood of the innocent, they scour the globe, ruthlessly tracking down and capturing any survivors in hiding.

Choosing slavery for promised, eventual, freedom, the remaining humans now serve as an important purpose to their cause.

The reaping of Earth's resources, thus leaving it a lifeless, decaying husk.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Into Oblivion**

* * *

Body weighed with pain and exhaustion, through gritted teeth she repressed the urge to slump forward and tend to the numerous injuries sustained during her capture.

For a fleeting moment, she allowed herself to remember it. Though it was difficult to remember everything.

The food supply had been scarce, the little water she had managed to collect completely consumed, for she hadn't anticipated how long she would be forced to reside within the confines of her sanctuary.

An overturned truck on the outskirts of the city.

However, what had affected her most was not the burnt-out husk of a city before her, but the screams.

All consuming.

Unceasing.

So shrill and sudden.

Piercing the air as often as the gunfire that had followed. People, slain remorselessly once they had inevitably been discovered.

Gunfire had echoed for what seemed like weeks overhead.

But the screams had finally ceased, and an eerie silence had ensued.

It had been quiet for days.

Too quiet.

The only sounds to accompany her the consistent groans of pain from her neglected stomach.

Delving into the City in search of sustenance had been her ultimate mistake, for she'd wrongly assumed the alien robots had finally left the area.

There wasn't much left of it after all.

Hundreds of abandoned vehicles, merely twisted hulks of burnt-out metal, had blocked the length of road, human limbs, distinguishable amidst the rubble she passed, hanging loosely from the detached bodies buried beneath.

Grey eyes had shifted deliberately upwards, checking the skies.

Being spotted by one of those things had one consequence. A consequence she hadn't been willing to face.

Hesitant as she had been to continue, the prospect of food and water had driven all reason from her mind, pushing her onward, the mass of bodies thickening the further she did.

At last, after hours of walking and occasionally checking abandoned outlets to no avail, she looked to the steadily lightening skies, deciding it would be unwise to continue.

Not until nightfall again, anyway.

Still a considerable distance from her refuge, it hadn't been long before she fearfully noted the slight trembling of the ground beneath her feet, the remaining glass panes still fixed within a nearby shop's structure rattling gently.

With haste, she had squeezed between the wooden boards nailed haphazardly into its walls, crouching within shadow, a wave of fear rippling throughout every fibre of her being as her eyes descended to the rubble dancing and shifting in the dirt at her feet.

With each passing second the quaking had grown in intensity, the panes rattling so erratically, it seemed they were clinging to the very vestiges of their structure for dear life.

Then the sound had come.

The familiar, terrifying hum.

The reverberating hum of a type of hybrid engine.

An engine not of this world.

The ship had materialised quickly, gliding at ease above the devastation below as its colossal shadow immersed the remnants of the store gradually in darkness.

Eyes wide with fear alongside awe had roved over the underside of the passing vessel, studying the odd alien glyphs engraved into its surface, the strange, fortified metal it appeared to be made of...

The scream of a jet engine overhead had served as first warning; followed by a beam of reverberating light and debris propelled throughout the building as it was blown to shreds.

There had been a sharp pain across her forearm—a stray piece of glass piercing clean through fabric, flesh, and muscle, and then the steady, unchecked spreading of liquid heat dribbling from her outstretched digits.

Everything was a vague blur thereafter.

The screech of the ship's thrusters as it bore down upon her... the familiar clicks and whirrs as something nearby transformed... approaching, ground-trembling footsteps... the pounding of her heart in her ears as she had fled, descending rubble and fire at her heels...

Her memories were pushed aside once more as she became aware of erratic, snivelling gasps emanating from someone to her left.

Another, on her right, sat motionless, staring blankly ahead. They gave the impression they no longer cared what fate awaited them. They were just willing to accept it.

Bloodshot eyes lifted from the dry, dusty ground she had been forced to kneel upon for the past half hour, observing the metal Citadel some 900 feet above.

It seemed, she thought bitterly, they had already constructed a substantial sized base for their operations.

Again, her eyes wandered, warily observing the being that stood rigidly before them.

A towering purple figure whose rectangular face was featureless save for a single glowing orb within its centre.

She had gotten glimpses of their faces before, having been on the run so long.

Humanoid in appearance, except for those awful, glowing red eyes. Yet, this one was different. She'd never seen one like this before.

A low, rumbling growl to her right made her flinch, said growl belonging to a large, metal cat-like creature.

A panther?

It had approached shortly after their arrival, circling them with an intense, unnerving gaze, undoubtedly put there to prevent any opportunity of escape.

A voice, cold and calculating, spoke up suddenly from somewhere above her.

"Where the slag is he? It's been two joors already."

"Perhaps he will get his aft kicked again, like the last time." Another voice, oily and cunning, answered in reply, followed by a derisive cackle. "You know him, he never learns. His pride and arrogance will always be his undoing."

A slight breeze whispered over the dry landscape, encouraging shudders from the huddled, ragged-clothed humans.

The silence was unlike one she'd ever known.

This is where they had been rounded up, flanked by six Decepticon troops whilst forced to await a fate unknown.

In the weeks before the conflict had engulfed the world as she knew it, the media had been overwhelmed with supposed terror attacks. One after another. Each worse than the last.

Details, however, were always scarce, inevitably prompting people to start questioning what was really going on.

Everyone hurried from place to place. Only if absolutely necessary. With unnerved expressions and a reluctance to linger or chat with anyone.

An unnerving, constant feeling of impending danger had coated the air everywhere, shops, bars, restaurants, parks and children's playgrounds consequently remaining empty, most eventually closing up due to lack of business or use.

New York was the first to go down. The truth revealed at last as its inhabitants live streamed the initial attack.

In the footage, people could be heard screaming, sobbing, shouting for loved ones, covered in soot, blood and debris as they fled, breathing erratically amongst the sounds of gunfire and explosions rocking the city overhead.

Jets had ripped through the skies, bullets raining down upon anything and everything in their path, buildings blasted and crushed beneath the feet of the metal giants who'd finally revealed themselves to the world.

The United States military proved unable to stop them, leading to similar attacks spreading to other Cities across the globe.

Anyone left—few though they were—were forced to evacuate.

Survivors knew to avoid Cities, instead keeping to the coast or countryside, hiding by day and travelling by night...

For perhaps the first time since being captured and rounded up with them, she properly studied the faces of those around her.

Did she recognise anyone here?

No. No one.

The majority of those she'd known had died in the initial attack.

Day after day, after a night of keeping her phone off to conserve battery, she had attempted to contact those on her call list.

Most lines were simply dead. Some just rang off.

She had finally received contact from two others though. Around the third day in. Messages assuring her they were safe.

Her phone had died shortly after.

She could only assume that they still were. Holed up somewhere. Hopefully with family... friends.

Perhaps in one of those refugee bunkers deep underground that she had heard passing rumours about.

A place that couldn't be detected, nor reached, by the Decepticons...

The robots flanking them braced suddenly, their attention drawn to something, or someone, now approaching.

Sure enough, the familiar, distant sound of a jet engine tore through the skies, the humans instinctively huddling together in apprehension.

With a deafening roar, it shot over them, whipping up their hair in the process.

Squinting with her good eye as it banked, gliding in a lazy arc around the top-most spire of the Citadel, she could just make out its colour as a rich, dark red.

The sounds of shifting, retracting metal filled their ears as it descended with breath-taking speed, changing shape with its approach.

Abruptly cutting the power to its engines a few feet above, the newcomer free-fell, cracking the ground beneath its feet as it landed with an earth-trembling thud and stood to full, humanoid height.

Large wings now protruding either side of a broad, cockpitted chest, the Decepticon briefly studied them in passing, a menacing scowl etched upon its face as it passed the faceless mech entirely and approached the nearby drones.

Unlike the dull silver of the latter, its armour was in fact comprised of a number of colours, hues of white and grey splashed amongst the crimson of most of its body, small segments—yellow in colour—breaking up the overall exterior seamlessly.

Its large, red wings bore a purple insignia upon them.

One she recognised all too well.

A voice, this one new to her ears and of human origin, spoke up quietly from nearby.

"It's him. The one plastered all over the news when New York went down."

"W-Who is he?" A second voice, hushed and strained, stammered in response.

"Not sure exactly..." The other whispered uncertainly, "but rumour has it, he's lieutenant to the head honcho who runs this shit show."

"And... have you ever seen him?"

"No. But I fear we soon will be."

"Starscream, what took you?" The purple Decepticon rumbled in a voice monotonous and devoid of emotion as he stepped forward, making his presence known.

"That's Commander Starscream to you," the newcomer ground out, turning to look upon the other with a deepening scowl before adding curtly "and I had a slight delay."

"Megatron requested your presence a mega-cycle ago," The monoptic replied, undaunted by the jets attitude. "Our Master lacks patience, as you know."

Clearly indifferent to this warning, the jet rolled his eyes skyward, muttering something unheard.

"I'm more than capable of carrying out my duties, Shockwave." He stated smoothly, studying the tips of his digits in a rather girlish manner. "Promptly or otherwise."

The tension was palpable, and the humans gathered below looked between the two, huge beings with growing uncertainty.

"Thundercracker and Skywarp failed to respond to my attempts of contact, resulting in me having to temporarily handle your collective duties." Shockwave continued, eliciting an annoyed growl from the other. "They accompanied you only this morning. Where are they?"

"Busy." The jet returned briskly with a careless wave of his hand, but before the perplexed Decepticon could question him any further, he turned his winged back on him, a slight, satisfied smirk in place as he addressed the drones.

"Is this all of them?" He demanded with folded arms, jerking his head in the direction of the gathered humans with no expressed regard for the beings in question.

"Yes, commander." One replied, stepping forward from the others and offering a short, respectful bow.

"Good," The jet growled with a curt nod to his subordinate, turning to study the huddled group, those of which immediately shrank back.

Sneering with satisfaction at their display of fear, he motioned to the drones with a sharp snap of his fingers.

"Bring them."


	2. Inevitable Fate

They were surrounded by darkness. The purplish hue cast from the overhead lights insufficient and useless.

As before, they were flanked by Decepticon troops, all of whom were stood rigidly, their attention focused ahead.

They seemed to have been unnerved from the moment they had entered this secluded part of the Citadel. Simply darkness, as though some unknown horror lurked here.

It didn't take long to find out what.

With bone-trembling footsteps, a huge, imposing figure entered the chamber from an immense doorway to their right, flagged closely by the one known as Starscream.

Settling themselves upon a throne-like chair before them, Starscream paused nearby, arms folded, flaming red eyes studying them in the darkness.

A voice, one of cold authority and most formidable and intimidating she'd ever heard, rang out. One that had undoubtedly listened to please of mercy, and more likely than not, granted none.

"You will address me as Lord Megatron. Your new and superior ruler." The seated Decepticon stated, glaring down expectantly at all those succumbing to terror. A terror that shook their bodies beyond control.

Few could muster the courage to look upon this intimidating creature.

He possessed a face that would haunt the most resolute of beings. With thin lips drawn back, twisted into a cruel sneer and a blood-red gaze that bore little more than abhorrence for humankind.

"Yes, today begins a new order. Your cities have fallen, and countless have been slain. You stand upon the brink of the apocalypse, yet, I offer you a choice." The words were carried on nothing more than a hiss, his eyes ever upon them, cold and degrading.

"Bow before me. Offer your servitude to our cause, and I assure you, your eventual freedom shall be granted as reward."

With an array of shuffling limbs, the majority of those present immediately fell forward, Starscream watching the display before him with a satisfied smirk.

"Ah, there it is," Megatron uttered derisively, "See, Starscream? This is the unspoken truth of humanity." He motioned lazily to the bedraggled humans below, "They were a species created to be ruled. To serve those greater than themselves."

Then, he turned his attention to those that remained upright, his expression relinquishing to a loathsome sneer.

"As for those of you that resist me, clearly you have decided upon your fate."

The statement hung amidst the heavy, dreadful silence that followed, as he perused each of them in turn, the majority avoiding meeting his eye.

"Eradicate them."

A bout of cackling laughter rippled throughout the troops as they advanced, readying their weapons, but most prominent of all were the cries of the innocent.

Voicing their protest, disbelief and horror as they were dragged forward from the others and forced to their knees.

"Please, please! I made a mistake, I swear!" A man was wailing shrilly, throwing himself to the ground in an attempt to demonstrate submission.

"You're in no position to ask for mercy, insect." One addressed earlier as Longhaul spat scathingly.

Wrenched forward, he was forced to his knees and engulfed by a blast of blue light, blood rapidly soaking his T-shirt where a large, smoking hole now gaped.

The room was filled with a chorus of horror.

A torrent of ear-ringing blasts amongst the shrieks and frantic scuffling of those desperately seeking escape before meeting the same inevitable end.

Others, who knew attempting escape was futile, had thrown themselves upon the ground in a vain attempt to shield themselves.

Megatron, all the while, observed the scene with cold indifference.

Twenty—perhaps thirty seconds later—deafening silence reigned once more, blood from scattered corpses coating the ground, glistening sickeningly within the faint light.

"Let this serve as a lesson to those of you that remain." Megatron stated in a calm, chilling tone, observing each human numbed with horror in turn, "dare defy me, and you too, will meet the same end."

* * *

The cell was vast and cold. Every surface merely polished steel and concrete, pale and discomforting, illuminated by the faint glow of the force field enclosing it.

A large metal slab jutting from the wall was all that occupied the room, its purpose unknown to her.

She had been here for what she could guess to be a day or so now.

She hadn't seen a soul. Human nor Decepticon.

Silence hung heavy as she huddled in a far corner, time's slow passage prompting her to imagine escape, only to have every fantasy fall to the bitterness of reality.

All hope had long since abandoned this dreadful place. And it was now, in a fleeting moment of despair, that she accepted the fact she would most likely die within these cold, empty walls.

A sound, one shrill in pitch, suddenly rang out, shattering her reverie and making her jolt in fright.

 _An alarm... but for what?_

The force-field enclosing her withdrew, followed by the sounds of movement echoing throughout the corridor beyond, the sharp expectant commands of the one known as Barricade following thereafter.

Uncertain, she rose, moving on cautious feet toward the exit, watching as her fellow captives emerged from their cells and quickly ambled towards the police car braced at the far end of the corridor.

"I would hurry if I were you," a red-headed woman with a heavily dirt-streaked face whispered in passing, "he doesn't take too kindly to dawdling."

* * *

Life became fairly repetitive after a handful of days.

The alarm would sound, Barricade making an unwelcome appearance shortly after.

From there, they would be split into groups. The first of which were tasked with seeking out and harvesting any potential resources that could in turn be converted into _Energon_.

The other half were stationed within the hall, tasked with dismantling vast piles of various, man-made objects in order to retrieve any materials deemed useful.

Objects that had, at some point, served purpose and meaning to the lives of the very beings forced to destroy them.

Being surrounded by so much familiarity of a life she once knew was somewhat comforting, as well as disheartening, given the eventual fate of said objects and cruel irony that they were forbidden to keep anything.

Even if it was deemed worthless in the Decepticon eyes.

Of course, she had disobeyed such an order, smiling to herself as she recollected the small stash of books hidden within the shadows of her cell.

Books, so far, had served as her only escape from the horror of this newfound reality.

Only once she was certain she was alone did she retrieve one, huddle within the dim light provided by the cell force field, and allow herself to become lost in the words scrawled upon their yellowed pages.

Those that possessed decent mechanical skills were also stationed here, but on a permanent basis. Required to fix up smaller mech's or Decepticon apparatus that had been damaged during use.

On occasion, Starscream had strode into the hall, flagged by two others that looked almost identical, save for differing colours, before barking orders at a rather surly Barricade or demanding a progress report.

The humans had cringed whenever he appeared, keeping their heads bowed and eyes low, attempting to look busy.

He only ever glared at them in departure, wings held high, typical sneer in place.

This was where she had also become familiar with Soundwave's two minions, both of whom stood roughly at human height.

Currently scurrying back and forth nearby, they had been given the task of hauling off the ever-growing piles of materials deemed expendable, one wearing a permanent scowl, whilst his counterpart, she noted, possessed a rather more placid demeanour.

A sudden hush fell over the room, loud footsteps heard coming from the adjacent corridor.

Barricade appeared in the doorway moments later, flanked by a small group of newcomers who cowered within his looming shadow.

Faces pale and emaciated, their bloodshot eyes flicked anxiously across the vast room, taking in their new surroundings.

"Here is where you will be stationed unless told otherwise." Barricade growled, "You will work quickly and efficiently. Slacken in you work or disobey, and you will be terminated." Pausing, the scout stepped aside, unblocking their path, "Now," he commanded, "join the others and begin."

Moments passed in silence as the new arrivals hurried away from the police car as fast as their legs could carry them, wordlessly sitting down to begin their assigned task.

Returning her own attention downward, her fingers continued to work quickly at the semi-dismantled stereo sat within her lap.

Stray pieces of jagged metal snagged at her skin occasionally as she pulled clumps of wiring apart, retrieving zener rectifiers, voltage suppression diodes and a handful of resistors with ease—a skill assuredly owed to her past experience with these types of things.

Barricade's malevolent voice rang out suddenly, echoing through the hall and making the collective humans flinch.

"Join the others, human, or else!"

Looking up, Teegan noticed a young girl, no older than ten, alone and clutching a tattered teddy bear as she attempted to hide by squeezing behind a stack of nearby metal crates.

A reassuring hand was offered to her, an unknown woman who had ran to her aid attempting to gently goad her out, but the little girl refused to budge, bursting into tears and burying her face into her bear.

Barricade lost patience, extending a huge hand in order to grab her—and, undoubtedly, kill her—but not before a voice, shrill and panicked rang out.

"Hey, stop!"

For an awful, suspended moment that weighed silently upon the room, she couldn't comprehend that the exclamation had come from her.

But, with all eyes currently fixed on her in horror, the reality that it had, slowly, excruciatingly, sank in.

Legs moving of their own accord, she braced herself before the small girl, adrenaline prompting her to look defiantly upon the towering mech.

Barricade appeared momentarily stunned. That didn't last long.

"What did you say, parasite?" Blood-red eyes narrowed upon her pale face, his mouth twisting into a sneer.

She sought courage, but with those inhuman eyes upon her, it suddenly felt impossible.

"I-I said," she finally croaked, voice trembling pathetically with returning fear and uncertainty, " _stop_."

 _This was it. She was going to die. And for what? What had she achieved? Nothing. She was insignificant. Powerless. A mere insect to him._

Barricade cackled, the sound vibrating through the soles of her boots.

 _It was laughable! A puny human standing up to a fifteen-foot, murderous alien robot!_

Bracing herself for the inevitable blow that would surely follow, she sucked in a deep, quivering breath, but not before a familiar, rasped voice rang out sharply.

One that, despite the situation, still managed to make her blood run cold.

"What's going on here?"

Trembling, she glanced through the gap between Barricade's arm and torso, stomach lurching unpleasantly as she took in not _one_ , but _three,_ Seekers approaching.

Starscream halted his towering form unnervingly alongside them, arms folded as he studied the much smaller Barricade questioningly.

His blue counterpart looked impassive, jaw tense.

The purple one, however, wore a derisive grin as he looked between the two, clearly anticipating what was about to transpire.

"The puny flesh bags proving too much for you, Barricade?" Starscream asked mockingly, raising a single optic ridge at the police car.

The purple jet sniggered, prompting the scout to throw him a sharp glare.

"Of course not." Barricade growled before motioning irately to the female below him, "This one was just trying to defend another insignificant sack of flesh."

Even from where she was stood far below, she felt the heat of Starscream's gaze upon her.

Despite the situation, she found her eyes darting upwards, finding him studying her rather intently.

But, with Barricade's next words, the jet's attention was thankfully snatched away.

"I was about to handle it. Before you _Seekers_ swaggered in here."

The blue jet inclined his head a fraction at the abrasiveness coating the scout's words, the purple 'con looking to Starscream with an indignant scowl.

Grounders, what non-fliers were dubbed, had a long-standing rivalry with Seekers and other fliers alike. And it was no secret that those with wings considered themselves superior to those with wheels.

"Watch yourself, Barricade." The dangerous tone with which Starscream replied had the police car immediately readdressing his own.

"Apologies, sir." He paused briefly, looking down, attention on the human once more, "they don't typically step out of line when _I'm_ around" The police car spat in her direction, making her flinch. "So, what do you propose?"

Fighting back the bile that had risen to her throat, she gulped, for she knew the underlying implication of such a question.

Perhaps the child did too, for she felt her shift behind her, a hand reaching up to cling tightly to her sleeve.

When it came to Starscream, things were usually unpredictable. At least Barricade got it over with quickly...

"Can I play with her, Screamer?" The purple jet suddenly interjected, turning a hopeful expression the Air Commander's way. "I haven't had any fun with one in orns."

 _She didn't like the sound of that..._

"No, Skywarp, they aren't playthings." Starscream huffed with irritation, much to her relief. This encouraged a disappointed pout from the other. "And stop calling me _that_." He added with gritted denta and a sidelong glance at his trine mate.

"Shall I kill her then?" The purple one continued eagerly to her horror, the hum of his null ray filling the air.

Starscream's loathsome sneer returned then, his calculating gaze sweeping downward, studying her.

"First, let's hear what the organic has to say, shall we?"

An uncomfortable jolt resonated through her nerves, her ears filled with a deafening static as she took in the curious, anxious stares of everyone around her, then the hard, expectant gazes of the gathered Decepticons above.

 _Was this a test? Would she be killed regardless? Be made an example of? Or, was it simply an opportunity to mock her?_

Swallowing, she attempted to speak, but her tongue seems almost paralyzed. With some difficulty, she finally manages to, albeit quietly.

"She... she's just a kid." She stammered, twisting her fingers behind her back with growing anxiety, "she's just scared, as we _all_ are, but that doesn't warrant killing her in cold blood."

Starscream laughed sardonically, looking to the others.

 _The asshole was enjoying this! Watching her squirm. Cringing and cowering at his feet..._

"If I may," the blue one spoke up, his deep, rumbling voice indubitably different to that of Starscream's raspy one, "I agree. I mean, all things considered, what would it really achieve?" He questioned, seemingly trying to dissuade them, "Other than yet another mess to clean up?"

Admittedly, she was a little taken aback by this Decepticon. Perhaps they didn't all share the same penchant for blood after all?

The others, however, looked indifferent, and so, she braced herself, half expecting Starscream to abruptly—violently—settle the matter.

But, true to his inconstant nature, and much to the disappointment of Skywarp, he swatted the issue aside carelessly with a wave of his hand.

Taking no further notice of her, he reminded a rather irate Barricade of his outstanding progress report before pivoting on his thruster and exiting the hall, his wing mates in tow.

She realized then it had all just been one sick, twisted game to him.

Cruelly dangling her life before her eyes. Keeping her guessing. Relishing her fear, her uncertainty...

She didn't know what was worse. The rash violence of Barricade, or the unnerving unpredictability of the Seeker.

Carefully, warily, she guided the young girl by the hand toward a group of others nearby, and beneath the murderous glare of Barricade, attempted to usher her toward them. But, much to her frustration, she refused.

Reluctant to draw any further, unwanted attention her way, she made toward her work area.

Instructing the girl to sit nearby, she silently resumed her task, head bowed low, willing Barricade to lose interest and resume his own.

Thankfully, he did.


	3. Responsibility

"That little scrap tattled on us, I'm tellin' you, TC. It wasn't my fault he found out."

Taking another draught from his Energon cube, Thundercracker regarded his wingmate with a disapproving frown before lowering it onto the table with an unnecessarily hard ' _clank'_.

"Rumble is well overdue a pummelling anyway." Skywarp continued with a growl, balling his fists, "Has ever since he busted into my private quarters and started an earthquake the crack of dawn with those slagging pile drivers of his."

Thundercracker sighed heavily, the more pressing issue at the forefront of his processor once more.

"Well, I dunno when you'll find the opportunity to dish out a much-deserved beating to the little slagger, seen as Megatron has doubled our shifts for the next deca-cycle as punishment."

"Yeah, thanks for that." Skywarp snapped, "I never learn when it comes to following your stupid ideas. I should know by now that you lack the functioning logic circuits."

Thundercracker merely gave a rumbling chuckle in response.

"I miss the old days, before we were stuck on this mudball." Thundercracker stated quietly, averting his gaze from his brother's morose expression and staring thoughtfully into the contents of his cube.

"The tedious morning drills. Scream getting cranky because we couldn't keep up. Overloading and brawling in the dodgy bars of Axiom Strata before staggering back for patrol at dawn," He paused, looking upon his brother with a grin, one the other regarded with a knowing, sly smile, "Skiving off and going to the pleasure domes in Vos—"

"—Yes. And returning with a rather unsavoury femme on your arm on too often an occasion as well." A drawling voice suddenly cut in from behind them.

Turning his immense, winged back, a smirk already in place at the familiar voice, Thundercracker was genuinely surprised to see the Air Commander standing there, arms folded as he regarded them petulantly.

Making for the vacant seat, Starscream sat heavily opposite his larger brother, forcing Skywarp to budge up with a scowl into the innermost corner.

"Screamer, gracing us with his presence and having a drink for once!" Commented Thundercracker happily as Starscream helped himself to a cube, digits of his free hand drumming upon the table top, "Well, I never!"

Scowling at the use of his irksome nickname, Starscream chose to ignore the comment for the moment, instead taking a much-needed sip from his cube, for it had been a particularly long and tiresome cycle.

Lowering it at last, his blood-red gaze bore into the other.

"Unlike _some_ ," he rasped pointedly, "I ensure the work I am required to undertake is actually completed before I decide to consume a questionable amount, overload, and crash a search ship into a quarry."

Raising his optic ridges in response, Thundercracker regarded his Trine leader with a rather sheepish look, shifting uncomfortably in his seat and glancing at Skywarp.

Skywarp, however, merely obscured a smirk in the near-empty cube placed to his mouth as he pretended to drink.

Starscream bore a sharp fang, expression one of smugness.

"Yes, I heard about your little... _jaunt_." He rasped, inspecting the tips of his alloyed digits with mock interest. "Rumble certainly chose an opportune moment to tell all. The middle of a rather important meeting actually. Megatron was most displeased."

If a response was intended to follow, it was swiftly interrupted by the adjacent doors to the Rec Room parting to reveal a petite, curvaceous femme, shades of silver streaked with pink materializing as she stepped into the dimmed light.

Thoughts of past misdeeds and current predicaments were disregarded as not a moment was spared before Thundercracker was beckoning to her, already shifting to better accommodate her as she deposited herself into his awaiting lap, giggling as she did so.

"Proxima." Skywarp acknowledged with a small nod of his helm, red gaze appreciative as it swept over her curves.

Conceited grin in place, she nodded in greeting. The femme revelled in such attention after all.

Ignoring her presence, Starscream turned his attention back to Skywarp as though the interruption had never occurred, audials filled with soft, irritating giggling as Thundercracker continued to indulge her.

Though sat upon Thundercracker's lap, his large servos upon her thigh plates as he whispered sweet nothing's into her audials, coveted glances were consistently thrown the Air Commanders way, except he was paying no mind, their unheard exchange opposite continuing without pause.

It was undoubtedly some sort of rebuking, for Skywarp had slouched lower into his seat, arms folded at his brother's animated display of gritted denta, balled fists and disapproving gestures of his helm.

It seemed Skywarp wasn't to escape a reprimand after all.

A lingering kiss placed to her cheek-plate stole her attention away once more, returning the act in kind with digits idly brushing a light touch across Thundercracker's chassis, a smirk in place as she did.

"So, TC," Skywarp intoned suddenly, Starscream's rebuking finally over with, "What do you say to another couple rounds before our shift? Primus knows I'm gonna need it."

"Sure," Thundercracker replied, adjusting himself and sliding a large servo downward to dwarf Proxima's hip-plate. "Perhaps," he rumbled in low tones, offering his companion an approving glance first, "we can have a little fun, too, if you get my drift..."

Starscream rolled his optics skyward, looking suddenly rather bored, digits resuming their tapping upon the table top.

It was no secret that his brothers occasionally shared the femme. Starscream, however, hadn't partook in such lowly acts since Vos.

Besides, his growing responsibilities hardly allowed him time to, even if he'd _wanted_ to.

"What troubles ya, Scream?" Skywarp inquired, finally noting his brother's lack of involvement.

But the only response he received was Starscream draining his cube and rising swiftly, protests from Thundercracker filling the air almost immediately.

"You're leaving already!?" He exclaimed, Proxima's sultry gaze rising to settle upon him with, if the Air Commander wasn't mistaken, disappointment, "But we're only just gettin' started!"

"Megatron just commed me to attend another meeting so I'd best prepare." Starscream replied shortly, making to leave, but not before slender digits made contact with the sensitive panelling of his cockpit, fingers splaying wide at its base.

Proxima had abandoned Thundercracker's lap, leaning into him lightly, blocking his path.

"Oh, yes, do stay." She purred, full, red lips inches from his own. "I promise it will be worth your already _limited_ time."

Sparing her a sharp, glowering look, one that had her expression faltering, he readjusted himself, her hand falling away as he passed her, paying no heed to the disappointed pout she now wore.

After all, the demand of his responsibilities was constant. Part and parcel of being Second-in-Command.

Something he had grown accustomed to many, many vorns ago.

* * *

"Piece of advice kid, stay away. OK? For your own good. Bad stuff happens to anyone that sticks with me."

"What do you mean?" The young blonde inquired, absentmindedly stroking her bear as she watched the older girl struggle to lift a particularly bulky rock.

Pausing, the older girl huffed out a sigh of frustration, dropping the heavy rock before wiping away the sweat that had collected across her face.

Turning to face the little girl, something passing behind her gaze as she offered a tired, half-hearted smile.

"Have you seen anyone here that you know? Anyone that can look after you? Keep you safe?"

" _You_ keep me safe." The blonde replied as if it was the simplest answer in the world, eyes downcast as she began prying bits of dirt out from between the once white plush toys fur.

With a soft sigh, the older girl approached her, kneeling so that they were level before taking her free hand gently in her own.

"Ashly, look," the older girl paused, biting her lip, a clear indication she was searching for the right words, "I know you trust me, and I know this is a scary place, but..." She paused uncertainly again, looking away, "I'm not—"

"—Teegan..." The girl whimpered, colour steadily draining from her face as something in the distance caught her eye.

Yet, before Teegan could even turn to inspect the source of the little girl's terror, her answer was provided for her almost immediately when she heard a voice in the distance.

 _His voice._

Rasped, cold and sharp.

Discreetly, she glanced over her shoulder.

Sure enough, there he was, speaking with Blackout, arms rigidly positioned behind his winged back as he perused today's activity.

"Come, quickly." She beckoned to the young blonde, placing a spare tool that was much too large for her into her small hands. "Just do as I showed you before. Remember? Just follow my lead and try to look busy. OK?"

Ashly nodded, tucking her bear hurriedly under her arm and following suit of the older girl, her hands trembling so much, Teegan thought the tool might slip from her grasp.

Since arriving into her care, she had refused to leave her side, and being the eldest of the two, she'd been forced to work extra hard in order to make it appear the child was pulling her weight.

She suspected she wouldn't last too long if it was discovered that she wasn't.

Especially when Starscream was around.

* * *

"Any problems?" Starscream demanded, glaring at the helicopter mech expectantly.

"No, Commander Starscream." Blackout replied shortly with a respectful nod before retrieving his datapad and scrolling through his logs in order to select the report Starscream desired.

 _Indeed, everything was going well._ Starscream credited himself with assurance. His recent meeting with Megatron included.

Stripping planets of their resources had proven to be time-consuming, but, unfortunately for their cause, energy-consuming too.

Yet, the Decepticons currently had an asset they'd never managed to obtain before.

An abundance of inhabitants native to this mudball that could seek out and harvest it all for them.

Besides, why should they carry out all the dirty work when there were more important matters to attend to? They had countless meat bags at their disposal, so why not put them to use?

When he had first arrived on Earth, he had been disgusted at just how overrun the planet was with the irksome creatures. Who knew they could eventually prove more useful than simple cannon fodder?

Just then, Blackout said something that abruptly drew him from his thoughts.

"What?" The Seeker snapped, tearing his gaze away from the proffered datapad he'd been scrutinizing and studying the helicopter with a scowl.

"I said," Blackout repeated, striving to conceal the note of irritation in his voice, "that one has been complaining about food for the sparkling."

Starscream inclined his head in the direction Blackout had just his, quirking an optic ridge when he was met with a familiar sight in the distance.

It was the human.

The same one who'd stepped out of line two earth weeks prior in the main hall.

She hadn't dared again since, and he'd suspected she'd finally had the sense to keep quiet and keep her head down.

 _Evidently not._

But the issue could wait. He had far more pressing ones to attend to.

"Let her complain," Starscream growled, tearing his gaze away from the two distant humans and returning it to the datapad, "If the sparkling expires, there are countless others at our disposal."

"Her frequent protests have encouraged others to start following suit." Blackout stated pointedly.

Starscream paused again, his optics narrowing, mouth drawn into a thin line as his attention was finally fully gained.

"If left unchecked, we may have an uprising on our hands, and as much as I hate to be deprived of a good old slaughter-fest," Blackout stated somewhat morosely, "killing so many of them only forces us to waste more energy searching out more. This lot would equate to at least a dozen trips, and I can't be bothered with the processor ache of it all."

"It's your job is it not?" Starscream snapped, a dangerous sneer tugging at his lips.

"Well, yes, sir..." Blackout stuttered, "But don't you think it's a waste of energy refuelling the ships for a mere handful of humans at a time? They're becoming increasingly harder to find. My guess is they've found better places in which to hide. Maybe the autobo—"

"—Kill the human then," Starscream interrupted, completely dismissing Blackout's question with a wave of his free servo as he returned his attention to the datapad once more. "Or both. I don't care."

Blackout's resulting expression was one of dubiousness, and, unfortunately for him, Starscream glanced upwards, noticing.

Cycling air in the form of a huff, the Seeker tossed the datapad back to Blackout, irately making past him.

"Have that report filed by the time I get back!" He spat over his winged shoulder at a confused, fumbling Blackout.

Saluting dumbly, Blackout watched as the large Seeker stalked towards the distant humans, those of which appeared to have already seen him coming…

* * *

 _Blackout was utterly useless!_

Starscream had quickly learned that an occasional threat, a little intimidation, and maybe a weapon drawn here and there sufficed when keeping these pathetic creatures in line.

And if this human thought she could make demands around here, she was very much mistaken _._

"Teegan, I'm scared..." The young girl whispered, clutching at her desperately as the winged figure drew closer, the ground beginning to tremble with his approaching footsteps.

 _Uh oh... Why on earth was **he** coming over? What had she done…?_

Desperately, her mind whirled, thinking over what she could have possibly done to piss him off...

"It will be OK. Calm down," Teegan replied in a strained whisper as she hauled another heavy rock onto the transport shuttle. "He won't hurt us."

 _I hope._

Starscream's shadow engulfed them as he halted his approach, glaring down at them through narrowed optics.

The younger of the two fearfully shrank out of sight behind the taller girl, his gaze shifting to bore into the older human then, lingering momentarily before he finally spoke.

"You require more food?"

Teegan straightened, dusting off her hands, striving to keep her expression as neutral as possible—though Starscream noted her futile effort smugly.

How her eyes avoided lingering on him for too long, how she swallowed nervously, the sweat that was beginning to coat her palms... and the display sent a thrum of cruel satisfaction through his circuitry.

 _Pathetic sacks of flesh. So easy to read._

"For the child, yes." She stated, forcing her voice to remain steady, for her eyes to find his, "It isn't nearly enough for her."

He shifted his hard stare to the younger human again, that of which had stolen a peek up at him while Teegan had been speaking, and it was with a nervous squeal that she hid again.

His expression changed to one of indifference.

"What makes you think I care?" It pleased him immensely when she visibly sagged, the detached expression she had been desperately trying to maintain submitting to one of disappointment and hopelessness.

Yes, he could have gotten it over with quickly, threatened her, the sparkling, it didn't matter which, but he relished any opportunity where he could make these humans cower merely with his imposing presence.

 _Especially_ if they tried to put on a pitiful facade of bravery.

 _He wasn't going to be any help. If he wanted to be a dick, so be it, but she wouldn't back down yet, not without being heard first._

"Considering it's what we humans require in order to work efficiently," She stated, striving, again, to keep her voice as even as possible, "I think you should."

"If what's provided isn't sufficient," the tone with which he spoke was cold, low, "perhaps her usefulness has run its course?"

Teegan fell silent, the implication of the Seeker's words weighing heavily within the silence that followed.

Starscream sneered with satisfaction. That's all it usually took after all. A few choice words and they fell in line, meek and pitiful like the spineless vermin they were.

Blackout never was good with manipulation or threats. Not like himself.

"I suggest you stop complaining and do what's expected of you." Starscream stated, eyes smouldering dangerously. "You're in no position to be making demands around here, human. Continue to step out of line," He paused, a smirk suddenly spreading across his lips as he directed his gaze to the null ray affixed to his arm, that of which whirred to life, power ominously building within its core. "Well, we wouldn't want a demonstration now, would we?"

Quietly, begrudgingly, she answered him, lowering her gaze from his fearsome stare to her feet.

"No, we wouldn't."


	4. Defiance

Starscream was sat at his allocated console in the control room, Skywarp to his left, Thundercracker to his right.

Soundwave was in the far corner, rigid and immobile save for his digits flying rapidly across the keys of his own console as he input data.

Skywarp was swinging back and forth precariously on his swivel chair, humming obnoxiously.

Finding himself yet again distracted by his brother's antics, Thundercracker sighed, rubbing his chin before leaning back in his chair to glance at Skywarp with a cocked optic ridge.

"What?" The purple 'con inquired with mock innocence as he continued swinging.

"Can you not sit still for one nano-klick?" Thundercracker asked, exasperated.

He found himself marvelling at how Starscream could so effortlessly ignore Skywarp's antics. Perhaps he'd finally grown weary of scolding him. It never did have much of an effect anyway.

"No." Skywarp quipped back, "Besides, I'm tired of being stuck in here, doing this boring data stuff. I'm itching to go for a good, hard flight."

"It's part of the job I'm afraid, Warp, so best get on with it." The blue Seeker replied, resuming his typing with a sigh. "The sooner you finish, the sooner you can stretch your wings."

Groaning, Skywarp ceased his swinging, servo supporting his chin as he stared disinterestedly at his screen again.

With Starscream's hatred of confined spaces, and Skywarp's inability to sit still for more than a nano-klick, it was a miracle the eldest Seeker hadn't gone insane by now.

Skywarp inevitably grew bored again, this time swivelling his chair to look at his Air Commander.

Only the subtle quirk of Starscream's optic ridge suggested he had caught the action from his peripheral, and therefore knew he was to be next on the receiving end of his brother's attentions.

"Have you been eating enough, Scream? You're looking rather thin."

To reinforce his point, the purple Seeker proceeded to jab a digit into Starscream's jutting hip plate.

Moving away from his prodding fingers with a scowl, Starscream chose to ignore the comment, praying to Primus his wingmate would find something else to fix his short attention span on before he delivered a swift smack to the back of his helm.

As if Primus had answered his prayers, the adjacent doors whooshed open, Rumble and Frenzy barrelling in noisily, punching each other.

Starscream inclined his head, grimacing when he saw it was the annoying duo and immediately returned his attention to the schedule he was in the process of organizing.

Skywarp swivelled his chair in a slow, overdramatic manner to face the two casseticons with a glare.

They ceased punching each other then, Rumble puffing out his chest and poking his metal tongue out at Skywarp in passing, Frenzy fidgeting as he glanced up at the leering Seeker nervously.

"You're gonna pay for grassing us up you little grease stain." Skywarp hissed as Thundercracker, for the umpteenth time, shook his helm exasperatedly at his console.

"We'll see about that, flyboy." Rumble hissed back cockily.

Scowling, Skywarp aimed a kick at the back of Rumble's legs, but wise to his antics, the casseticon hastily skipped over to his master before the Seeker's large foot could make contact, Frenzy hurrying after him.

Soundwave didn't offer any form of acknowledgement when his two casseticons approached him, his focus all for the data he was inputting as Rumble boosted Frenzy up onto the high console, the latter reaching down and pulling his brother up to join him.

Proceeding to sit and open their sub-spaces, they each retrieved a small cube of Energon, legs swinging back and forth off the edge of the high surface as they drank alongside their master.

Lowering his cube, Rumble grinned smugly at Skywarp who was still glaring daggers at him.

When it came to Soundwave's irritating minions, Skywarp knew better than to do anything directly in front of him.

He'd already learned that the hard way.

Primus, how he itched to get his hands around the little slaggers throat though!

But he would just have to settle for irritating him for now.

 _But how...?_

His processor whirred in thought for a brief moment, smirking once he recalled the piece of space rock stashed in his subspace.

Checking Starscream's attentions were elsewhere, he deftly retrieved it, and placing it between thumb and forefinger, took aim, flicking it at the drinking casseticon.

The projectile pinged off of Rumble's hand, the small mech jerking his cube in shock, energon splashing all over him as a result.

Skywarp collapsed into helpless, silent giggles at his console, on the verge of short-circuiting when he caught a glimpse of Rumble's knowing, petulant glare.

Starscream ceased typing, looking suspiciously at the casseticons then to Skywarp who'd resumed typing with an uncharacteristically determined expression.

Sighing, the red Seeker resumed his work, Skywarp immediately throwing a satisfied grin at a smouldering Rumble.

"So, Scream, how did everything go with the latest shipment?" Skywarp asked, striving to bite back any further laughter.

Without glancing away from the screen, Starscream replied shortly, never wavering in his typing.

"Megatron did his usual grandiose speech." The response was clipped, laced with loathing. "I have not seen him since. Doesn't want to get his servos dirty I suppose."

Skywarp offered a sound of acknowledgement as he began swinging back and forth in his chair again.

He and Thundercracker were all too familiar with Starscream's long-suppressed loathing of their leader, and at times, they'd found they couldn't blame him for feeling as such.

"Speak of the devil," Starscream muttered suddenly, the corner of his lip curling into a sneer.

Skywarp paused, glancing at his brother's vid screen to see what he was referring to, and sure enough, saw an incoming call flagging up from their leader.

Rearranging his features into a rigid smile, Starscream curtly pressed accept, the silver visage of Megatron instantaneously filling the screen.

It took considerable effort for Starscream to bite back his prior sneer at the mere sight of him.

"Ah, Starscream," Megatron stated smoothly, Lazerbeak just visible from his perch upon his forearm, "I need you and your wingbrothers to investigate a signal Lazerbeak intercepted a mega-cycle ago."

"And whereabouts was this signal detected, my Lord?" Starscream questioned silkily, smile unwavering as Skywarp sidled over and pushed his helm into frame, waving animatedly at the Warlord.

"I have already pinged over the coordinates,' Megatron replied, ignoring Skywarp with an ease owed to a millennia of dealing with his antics, "I expect you all to leave immediately."

With that, Megatron cut the feed.

Starscream's expression instantaneously melted into a scowl, wing struts bristling with agitation as he decided he would take his sweet time filing his unfinished schedule.

His brothers, however, seemed to accept the task more readily.

"Finally!" Skywarp declared, rising from his seat and practically bouncing past a disgruntled Thundercracker to the door.

" _I_ will just log you off then, shall I?" Thundercracker grumbled as Skywarp swiftly backtracked to pat his wing strut in thanks with a grin.

Shaking his head, the blue Seeker took his time to close down any active programs and sign off of his console before moving over to Skywarp's to do the same.

Pausing at the door, as Starscream rose, cracking his knuckles, Skywarp proceeded to offer Rumble an earth custom he had picked up in the form of a middle finger.

Grinning as the two casseticons exchanged confused glances, he laughed at Rumble's hurtled insult before dematerializing out of sight.

"I hope you get slagged, you weird aft hole!"

* * *

"But you need to eat, too." Ashly pointed out with an adorable look of concern and mingled disproval.

Had she been feeling more herself, Teegan might have taken the time to laugh at her expression.

"Look, you're a growing girl. You need it more than I do, so please..." Teegan slouched against the transport shuttle, breathless and exhausted, and with effort, finished her sentence, "Just eat it. OK?"

"OK." The younger girl conceded quietly; eyes downcast as she bit guiltily into the proffered rations.

As she chewed on the tasteless, grain-like substance hungrily, she watched as Teegan squeezed her eyes closed in a frustrated attempt to clear her blurred vision for the umpteenth time that day.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sweetie. I'm... fine." Teegan reassured her, voice strained with the exertion of trying to sit up straighter, "Just a little dizzy, that's all. I'll be OK after some rest."

But Ashly had long-stopped chewing, and Teegan noted tears beginning to brim within her bright blue eyes.

"No. Don't lie!" The little girl cried suddenly, stamping her foot, "I'm going to wake up and you'll be gone! You're going to disappear and leave me alone forever, aren't you?"

She was almost wailing now, and it took considerable effort for Teegan to drop to her knees and grip her shoulders reassuringly.

"Ashly, what on earth would make you say...?" Teegan studied her confusedly, momentarily lost for words, "Please, listen to me, I won't leave you. I swear."

"Do you..." The young girl sniffed, wiping a trail of snot onto the hem of her dirtied, yellow sundress, her face streaked white where tears had tracked through the grime clinging to her skin, "p-promise?"

Wiping a strand of blonde hair streaked with dirt from between her lips and tucking it behind her ear, Teegan embraced her into a hug.

"I promise."

* * *

"Well, that was a waste of time," Growled Thundercracker, "I'm going to shoot that blasted bird."

"You're tellin' me." Skywarp replied, "Who knew, after all that, it would be some primitive device left in an abandoned, human camp!" He guffawed, "But at least it got us out of admin duty and out for a decent flight!"

With that, the purple Seeker proceeded to do a double barrel roll, nearly knocking Thundercracker off course.

"Watch it, you glitch!" Thundecracker bellowed, but Skywarp was already barrelling off ahead, his complaint falling on death audials.

Starscream was in a particularly sour mood. He hadn't spoken much on the return flight to base.

He was too busy seething.

 _Damn Megatron to the pit! As if he didn't have enough to do._

 _That idiot had sent them on a pointless errand that had wasted time he could have otherwise spent dedicating to his own schemes._

 _Megatron was a fool. A never-ending pain in his aft!_

"Scream?" Thundercracker questioned, dipping lower to fly alongside him, "You OK?"

"I will be once I've had some high-grade." The Seeker snapped. "I hope to Primus I don't have to see _his_ face when we reach the base. It's the last thing I want to see right now."

Thundercracker could have pointed out that it was in fact Lazerbeak's mistake and not so much Megatron's that consequently found them flying empty-handed and exhausted back to base, but he knew better.

It was never a good idea to question his stubborn Trine leader. _Especially_ when he was in a bad mood.

"You want me to comm him and inform him it was a dead end?" Thundercracker helpfully offered. "It's been a while since we reported in."

"Yes, go ahead." Starscream agreed with a growl. With that, he put on a spurt of speed, flying off ahead.

"Whoa, hey!" Skywarp cried as Starscream shot past him, a single white contrail left in his wake as he skilfully dodged the erratically flying Seeker and vanished from sight.

* * *

Being the superior flier of the two, it wasn't long before Starscream landed, strolling toward the boundary with an awful snarl on his lips.

His fellow Seekers landed sometime later, finding their Commander in the midst of a conversation with Blackout, the slaves ambling past them as they retired for the night.

Starscream was itching to shoot something. His optics were afire, digits drumming upon folded arms as he listened with impatience to Blackout's report.

"You want us to wait for ya, Scream?" Skywarp asked as he and Thundercracker approached.

"No, go ahead. I will catch up." Starscream replied, tone clipped as he waved a servo dismissively.

As Blackout muttered on about percentages, input vs output, and the factors that affected the aforementioned, Starscream watched like a hawk as countless humans shuffled by, quickening their pace as they passed where he was stood in particular.

Waving away the helicopter's words impatiently, Starscream changed the subject, the thought of his berth and some high-grade calling to him.

The quicker he could get this over with, the quicker he could relax.

"Are all humans accounted for?"

"Y-Yes, sir," Blackout stuttered, "I triple checked. Myself and Barricade are escorting them to the holding cells now."

"Have they had their daily sustenance?" Starscream snapped then, watching as the last remaining humans quickly crammed themselves through the distant Citadel entrance.

"Yes, four klicks ago exactly." Blackout informed him, and with that, Starscream waved him away, the mech offering a quick bow before advancing toward the now empty doorway ahead.

Pinching his brow, Starscream sighed harshly, turning to follow on in the direction his brothers had gone before his scanners picked up on something.

Something faint but most definitely there.

Optics narrowed, he turned, scanning the surrounding boundary carefully but finding nothing of notice.

But Starscream had never been one to dismiss his intuitions. That's why he held such a coveted position within the Decepticon ranks after all.

Activating his infrared, he scanned the boundary again, this time picking out two red shapes in the far distance, shapes of human origin, one smaller than the other, both of which were currently huddled behind a stationary transport shuttle.

Fury pricked at his circuits, the joints of his wings groaning as they hitched with said fury.

 _Did they really think they could hide? Their attempt was laughable, pathetic! More to the point, was Blackout incapable of rounding up a bunch of meat sacks!?_

He was seriously beginning to question the competence of his crew.

Starscream considered the fleeting notion of comming his soldier and severely berating him, but, after a beat, decided against it.

He needed an outlet for his pre-existing fury after all, and what served as a better opportunity?

* * *

'T-Teegan... someone's coming this way!" Ashly stuttered as she desperately tugged at her, "We need to hurry! I think everyone else has already gone."

Opening her eyes and squinting around her, with difficulty, Teegan rose onto trembling legs, the exertion making her dizzy again, but before she could even take a single step, the shuttle she had been leaning against groaned as it was violently pushed aside, rubble cascading over its edge and narrowly missing Ashly who'd took several terrified steps backwards.

There was a flash of red as two, glowing eyes fixed upon them, a cruel mouth twisted into a furious snarl as the little remaining sunlight was blocked out by large, soaring wings above them.

 _Starscream..._

That was her only terrified, coherent thought before he aimed his charged null-ray at them.

" _You_." He snarled, making her cower, "You just can't seem to keep yourself out of trouble, can you, human!?"

Trembling, Teegan craned her neck with difficulty, dark hair falling across her face as she reeled with the effort of trying to do so.

Starscream seemed not to have noticed. He was too busy glaring at the sparkling who now had lubricant leaking from its eyes as it desperately squeezed the pathetic toy it carried around.

"You really thought escape would be that easy?" He hissed; fangs bared as he returned his attention to Teegan once more. "Do you know what the punishment for attempted escape is, human? He didn't wait for her to answer, already taking aim at the smaller girl and readying to fire with a sadistic sneer. "Let me show you."

"I wasn't trying to escape!" Teegan cried, the last word coming out croaked with the combined effort it took to shout up at him and take frantic, unsteady steps toward the younger femme.

Collapsing to the ground, her arms reached up and pulled the small girl downward, cradling her in a pathetic attempt to shield her.

Lowering his null-ray slightly, the Seeker realized then that something wasn't right with the human.

Running a quick scan—to sate his curiosity more than anything—his suspicions were confirmed when his internal feed displayed multiple malfunctions in the femme.

He only bothered to observe those flagged up in red.

 ** _Detected malfunction(s): Exhaustion /: Insufficient nutrition /: Severe Dehydration._**

"Your output isn't sufficient enough, femme." He hissed, sneering down at her.

Teegan visibly drew in a deep, trembling breath, face rigid with discomfort as her eyes met his and she spoke quietly.

"Perhaps that's due to the fact I haven't had a decent sized meal in over four days."

"You have more than enough sustenance. You receive it daily." Starscream snapped dismissively.

"Considering you declined my request of extra food," she croaked, swaying briefly, "I've had no choice but to give mine to her," with an indication of her head, she motioned to the trembling sparkling, "so yes, I'm exhausted."

"Perhaps I should just dispose of you now then." He replied bluntly, studying her with cold, hard optics, but in the next breath, placed his finger on his chin in mock thought, "Or," He added at length, making her glance upwards warily, "perhaps I should simply dispose of the sparkling? Then we'll see if you actually prove yourself efficient enough without any more unnecessary distractions."

Starscream watched then as the human ground her teeth with a newfound determination, forcing herself to stagger upright before placing a reassuring arm around the younger femme and slowly making to walk past him.

His audials picked up on soft, breathless whimpers coming from the sparkling as they passed by, the older human rubbing her back in a pathetic attempt of comfort.

She stumbled once, twice, but carried on, mouth a thin line of determination. Starscream studied her, and despite himself, found the whole display rather amusing.

Teegan had no idea of his intentions, and despite the uncomfortable sensation of his gaze burning into her, didn't dare look back.

"Come on, Ash, calm down," She soothed quietly once she felt they were at a safe enough distance, "If he wanted to kill us, he'd of done it already," Grimacing as her legs briefly protested again, she breathlessly added, "he's all talk and no ball-bearings."

"What was that?"

Teegan froze, horror thrumming throughout her, spreading to her eardrums with a deafening pitch as Ashly twisted her tear-stained face toward Starscream then back to her in sheer terror.

 _How the hell did he hear that!?_

Foregoing the distance between them with a ground-trembling ferocity that made them recoil with fear, he glared down at her far below him.

He was a vision from hell. Unbridled fury distorting his features.

"Go on, spit it out." He hissed in a deadly whisper, but when she didn't reply, raised his arm without hesitation, unleashing his firepower.

The blast had her diving with a cry, pushing Ashly aside as it impacted the ground with a sizzling ' _crack'_.

Ashly stumbled backwards, tripping over her own feet and falling to the ground, mouth agape, expression frozen with terror.

Groaning, Teegan slowly rolled upright, glancing at the little girl to see if she was OK before downward with a pained grimace to the source of a searing pain now blossoming across her left hand.

A large blotch of jagged, angry red where skin was now absent stretched from her thumb to her forefinger, weeping profusely.

Cradling her hand, she raised her head, eyes afire though filled with pained tears as she glared up at him in silence.

"Seems you have much to say, human!" He snarled, the smoke from his weapon dissipating as he circled around her menacingly. "Perhaps you'll be less inclined to open your mouth after you've endured what I have in store for you?"


	5. Mocking

A harsh sigh, and her hand stretched across the flat, metallic surface, brushing away the offending rust particles littering the incinerator she'd just scoured.

Satisfied, at last, she allowed herself to pause after yet another strenuous period of scouring the Decepticon equipment: a seemingly endless row of identical apparatus _,_ before shifting to her left to once again begin a process that could only be described as ghastly and unending.

She could still recall the snide curl of his lip when he had ordered her down here. That had been five days ago now, perhaps six... time was more elusive than ever now.

The most rusted of all, this one was particularly unpleasant to work with. All the same, she leant forward, gripping the ragged scourer she had been provided with.

Jaw set tightly, teeth clenched beneath her lips; she forced aside the throbbing ache of her limbs and began to scrub furiously at the rust-covered metal with contempt, a contempt elicited at the very thought of him.

But Starscream intended on making her life as unpleasant and as torturous as possible since her unfortunate slip up.

She just hoped Ashly was OK...

If she had gotten that poor little girl killed through her own stupidity, she could never live with herself _—_ not that she could after all she had done since the war began anyway...

Another sigh passing her lips, she reached beneath, scrubbing at a particularly stubborn spot of rust beneath the rim, the battered threads beneath her fingers protesting with each drag and thrust across the coarse surface.

 _"I suspect, after a little time spent in the smelting chambers, that you'll think twice before opening your mouth again, human."_

Once again, his snide voice filled her head, teeth grating unpleasantly as she recalled the derisive smirk he had worn when he'd noted her fearfulness.

She could feel the scourer screaming in protest beneath her fingertips, tearing _—_ snapping _—_ with each forceful thrust and drag of her hand. It surely wouldn't be much longer before its usefulness ran its course.

 _"Well, here we are." Starscream had stated with a humourless smile and sweep of his arm across the large, forlorn-looking space, "Skywarp will be here momentarily to give you what's required, so, best make yourself comfortable. You're going to be here a while."_

Tossing the scourer to the ground in frustration, she took the opportunity to wipe the sweat heavily beading her brow.

It was unbearably hot in this particular part of the Citadel, making the lingering smell all the more unpleasant. It was a strong ozone-like smell, combined with the overwhelming odour of rust.

Sighing, wearily, she examined the jagged patch of slow-healing skin across her hand where Starscream's blast had scorched it. Months without bathing were taking their toll now; she considered herself lucky for not infecting her wound after so long without properly cleaning it.

She hadn't seen Starscream since he had left her down here, but the one named Thundercracker had entered the room occasionally throughout her time here, to bring sparse rations and a little water.

He had merely smiled at her the first two times, setting the items down delicately like they were made of glass before wordlessly departing.

She had watched him go, puzzled by how considerate he was for a 'con. Then, on the third day, to her utmost surprise, he had actually spoken to her... inquired about her wellbeing.

 _"How are you feeling, human?"_

 _"OK… I guess?"_

Her confused answer had encouraged a broad smile to spread across his face. Taken aback, she had looked up at him hesitantly for a moment, offering a small, uncertain smile of her own, before another voice, brash and loud, had cut through their shared silence.

Skywarp had appeared in the doorway behind them, leaning against it as he reprimanded the other.

 _"Screamer said not to talk to her, TC! Do you wanna get blasted? Because I sure as Primus don't!"_

The next time she saw the blue jet after this warning, he'd wordlessly set her rations at her feet, awkwardly avoiding eye contact before making a hasty exit.

Sudden, approaching footsteps made her hastily grab the discarded scourer. It would be unwise to be caught slacking whilst on the job, given the amount of trouble she was already in.

But the voice that met her ears was the last she had expected to hear today, and it certainly wasn't Thundercracker's.

"I trust you're enjoying your little task?" Starscream stated flatly, halting his approach a short distance from her current position upon the rust-covered floor.

Teegan tensed at the sharp, rasped voice, ducking beneath the rim of the incinerator briefly, to not only check the underside was finally clear of rust, but to also attempt to hide the obvious unease his presence wrought.

The silence stretched on for a moment more before she finally straightened, warily turning and craning her neck in order to look up at him.

He was arrogantly poised, arms crossed, a snide smile in place, and it irritated her that he derived such satisfaction from her demeaning situation.

"I take your silence to be an indication that you've finally learned your place?"

"My place?" She questioned after another brief pause, voice low and hoarse from lack of moisture, "That's beneath you, right?"

Starscream grinned down at her devilishly before wagging a disproving finger at her sarcastic tone.

"Tut, tut," he rasped mockingly, relishing how easily riled she became with a few choice words, her eyes hardening as they remained locked with his, "I'd watch it if I were you, _Teegan_."

A beat passed in silence as she processed the hiss of her name from his metal lips, eyes growing wide and inquiring as she continued to stare at him.

"It is Teegan, isn't it? He questioned, sneering with satisfaction when he noted her stunned expression, and she nodded mutely, even though he obviously already knew the answer.

"T-e-e-g-a-n," he repeated slowly, smirking as he tasted each syllable with a bared fang, "Yes, how could I forget? Hard not to when that irritating sparkling didn't stop screaming it."

Starscream noted the way her demeanour shifted at the mention of the sparkling. _Humans._ He thought loathingly. _So predictable._

"Is-is she _—"_

" _—OK?_ " He finished scornfully, "Well, as long as you do as I command and to my exacting standards, then yes, she will be."

Teegan visibly sagged in relief, but, with his next sentence, warily looked up at him once more.

"But be warned, Teegan, my standards are very, _very_ high."

 _I bet._ She thought scathingly, eyes downcast to focus on her boots again.

 _Fantastic_. She could already tell the remainder of her life _—_ if it really could be deemed much of a life now—was bound to be miserable now that she'd managed to piss off Starscream, of all Decepticons.

Her worse fears were said aloud with his next words.

"So," he rasped, as she begrudgingly returned her stare upwards, "looks as though I will be keeping a much closer optic on you from now on, doesn't it?"

'Brilliant." She muttered quietly, picking up the ragged scourer in order to resume her work.

Amused, he continued to smirk down at her for a brief moment in silence before she broke it with a question.

"Why not just kill me and get it over with?"

"Oh, I am far from finished with you, femme." Starscream drawled, studying her coldly, "What was it again?" He paused briefly, looking to the ceiling in mock thought before his blood-red optics rolled downward, boring into her again, "I _don't have the ball bearings?_ Right?"

Teegan didn't answer, a deep blush rising to her cheeks as she meekly returned her stare downward, studying her boots.

"Oh, no, human." He added quietly, "You will pay for your insult for as long as I deem fit."

Indeed. Killing her would not be satisfying enough. No. He would break her. Watch her defiant spirit crumble little by little until she was broken, defeated, and under his control, and he would relish every moment.

"I've been scrubbing in here for days," She intoned indignantly, a small frown creasing her brow again as she shifted uncomfortably and looked up at him, "my hands are red-raw."

"Yet, it would appear you still have much to do." He quipped back, looking around their grim surroundings disdainfully, "So," he added at length with a leering smile, "I suggest you get on with it."

With that, Starscream turned on his heel and made toward the doors, those of which immediately hissed open when they sensed his presence, and it was with another soft hiss that they closed, swallowing him from sight.

* * *

"Scream, whatcha doin' keeping a human pet, anyway?" Skywarp inquired as he quickly fell into step alongside his wing brother. "Surely you're not _that_ bored?"

"Idiot," Starscream muttered as mech's big and small hastily parted in the corridor to allow the large jets passage through, "the femme isn't a _pet_. She is an example. One that will serve as a reminder to all of these meat bags of who's exactly in charge here."

"Well, _I'd_ keep her as a pet." Skywarp countered enthusiastically, "Get her to perform crazy stunts every cycle for my entertainment. Maybe put her in a cage and add some more humans and make 'em fight. Like an arena, you know? And once I got bored with 'em fighting each other, start blasting some of 'em at random." He smacked his wing brother on the shoulder, earning himself a sneer. "You gotta admit, they're kinda funny when they're running around screaming."

"And that's why you, Skywarp, are an idiot." Starscream replied curtly with a thoroughly unimpressed expression.

"Hey!" Skywarp snapped indignantly as Starscream paused at the door to his private quarters, rapidly inputting his passcode.

Doors smoothly parting, the two jets entered, the lights activating automatically to reveal Starscream's well organized and spacious receiving room.

"Where is Thundercracker by the way?" Starscream questioned as he approached the bar and pulled out a stool, seating himself with steepled fingers as Skywarp reached into a storage vault, pulling out a handful of Energon cubes.

"He was late reporting in this morning." Skywarp replied with a shrug as he approached the bar and set the cubes down, "Megatron wanted a word with him."

In response to this news, Starscream scowled, his lip curling into a sneer.

"Perhaps Megatron should be focusing on more pressing matters," Starscream growled, "Like the restoration of Cybertron, for example."

"Yeah, I'm sick of being stuck here." Skywarp agreed, pulling up an opposite stool, "Especially now we're forbidden to do what we did back in New York." He paused briefly, before muttering morosely, "Primus, I miss the screaming." Taking a brief sip of his drink, he licked his lips before looking at Starscream questioningly, "How much longer do you think it will be before we can return home?"

"Well, when it comes to Megatron's efforts, I wouldn't bet on it being anytime soon." Starscream muttered with a simmering glare over the top of his own cube.

A sudden beep emitted from the nearby doors, followed by them whooshing open to reveal a rather tired and fed up looking Thundercracker.

"Hey! How comes TC is allowed your access code and I'm not?" Skywarp questioned indignantly.

"Because, Skywarp," Starscream replied at length as if it was the most ridiculous question in the world, "Thundercracker isn't a never-ending pain in my aft." Skywarp huffed, rolling his optics. "Oh," Starscream added, as though the thought had just occurred to him, "and he also wouldn't dare go snooping through my stuff."

"I've already snooped through all your stuff." Skywarp declared, "It was all boring science junk anyway, so you got nothin' to worry about." Starscream looked aghast.

"I told him not to." Thundercracker stated with a sigh as he joined them, grabbing a cube from the jumble upon the table.

"You knew and you didn't stop him!?" Starscream snapped, incredulous.

Thundercracker shrugged his immensely large shoulders, swirling the contents of his cube before taking a quick swig.

"When have _you_ ever managed to stop Warp doing something he shouldn't?" Starscream fell silent, raising his optic ridges in apparent thought before nodding mutely in agreement.

"Speaking of snooping through your things," Skywarp added with a frown, "how comes I couldn't warp in here the other night? I really fancied some of that high-grade you keep stashed in your desk drawer, but for some reason, I couldn't get in."

"Why, you little..." Starscream growled with balled fists before forcing calm with a close of his optics and a deep intake. "Well, you know all that boring science " _junk"_ ' you so politely snooped through?"

"Yeah..." Skywarp replied uncertainly with a puzzled frown in regard to where the conversation was headed.

"I decided to finally put it to good use and install an anti-materializing barrier around the perimeter of my quarters." Starscream informed him with a smug grin.

Expression one of utmost offence, Skywarp stared at him, mouth agape.

"Could you maybe put one around mine too, Scream?" Thundercracker asked with a playful grin, helping himself to another cube.

"Yes, perhaps we _should_ make a couple more things around here warp-proof." Starscream murmured with mock thought, a digit placed to his chin, "What do you say, Skywarp?"

"You guys are quick enough to use my powers when it suits." Skywarp snapped, folding his arms, "Maybe I should warp your little pet out of her prison and plant her in your morning Energon." He quipped with a snide grin in Starscream's direction.

Starscream eyed him silently, optics aglow with warning. The tone with which he replied was cold, deadly.

"Do that, and I will court-martial you for the next decacycle."

"No. You won't." Skywarp returned with a devilish smirk and playful tap on Starscream's wrist plating, an action Starscream followed with a silent glare.

"Speaking of the human," Thundercracker interrupted with a slight frown as he looked upon his scowling Air Commander inquiringly, "when are you gonna let her go free, Scream? She's been down there the best part of an earth week."

"When I am good and ready to." Starscream snapped dismissively, taking an incensed draught from his cube. Thundercracker and Skywarp exchanged looks over their own.

"Don't you think she's learned her lesson by now?" Thundercracker asked after a brief pause.

"Judging by her earlier attitude, no, I don't." The Seeker replied shortly. Thundercracker looked upon his Trine leader wistfully before shrugging. He knew when it came to Starscream when it was best to drop the subject.

Starscream was easily riled when questioned or pressed about something he believed to be right.

Even if that was keeping a small defenceless creature locked in a room alone and segregated from the rest of its kind for days on end.


	6. Confrontation

Under Starscream's orders, Teegan was stationed within the main hall again, and he'd indeed kept to his word of keeping a closer "optic _"_ on her.

For the duration of her time here, she had occasionally caught him studying her smugly, high from his perch upon the throne in the centre of the hall.

Each time their eyes had locked, she had quickly averted her own, maintaining determined focus on her work.

If he found any reason to pick on her, he would, so she spent every waking moment trying to be as small and as insignificant as possible beneath his scrutiny.

But that didn't stop him.

At first, her fellow captives had found his individual treatment of her strange and confusing, but had since grown used to it. He did it daily after all.

Starscream's favourite form of humiliation thus far, was when she and the others would enter the hall in the first thing in the morning.

Filled with dread, she would wait for the typical snap of his fingers in her direction before he would indicate with a jerk of his head to the nearby stack of Energon cubes.

It was a command for her to fetch him his morning measure, and also a task intended to tire her out before the workday had even properly begun.

The cubes were heavy and hard to keep a proper grip on, being made of a smooth glass-like material, and oftentimes their strange contents, much to her horror, had nearly spilt all over her with the exertion it took to struggle to carry one over to him.

He would watch her entire ordeal with satisfaction. Right up until she would finally reach his feet, eyes downcast as he wordlessly reached down and plucked it from her.

Other times, after he had returned from a long flight, oftentimes filthy and wet from rain, he would order her to sit at his feet and clean every inch of them whilst he leant back pompously, drinking as he watched.

Silently, teeth gritted, she had carried out these tasks, determined not to show any sign of fatigue or glimpse of her inner misery.

After all, her suffering satisfied him. _Nurtured him_ , even.

On one particular occasion, whilst she'd been scraping mud from around the joint near his thruster, she had glanced upwards to find him studying her with a malicious expression of triumph.

Covered in mud and grime, exhausted and damp with sweat, anger had stirred within her.

He had won, and he knew it.

But no. She wouldn't let him win. _She couldn't._

So, every day since, she'd strived to suppress her emotions. To keep her expression devoid of anything that might show just how miserable and on edge she really felt.

This particular afternoon however, and much to her relief, Starscream was absent, the large throne sitting empty in the vast hall. The only Decepticon present was Thundercracker, who'd been glumly watching over them from nearby.

Usually, this meant Starscream was elsewhere and had left him in charge. Unfortunately, however, it was never usually long before he would make a return.

Sighing, she shifted upon the hard, uncomfortable floor, attempting, with difficulty, to dismantle a microwave that had its front smashed and door hanging off its hinge.

News that Ashly had been under the care of a small and well-known group of people during her absence had certainly lifted a huge weight off her shoulders, and she had yet to see the little girl again as they were supposedly stationed somewhere afar and yet to return to base.

Despite herself, she had to admit that she missed her.

The distant, growling rumble of a jet engine could suddenly be heard approaching from somewhere above, and she watched as Thundercracker immediately perked up.

Everyone around her also shifted, growing decidedly quieter. They knew the distinct sound of his engines all too well by now...

So, it was with dread, as the roar of the engines died off, that she sunk lower and prepared for another onslaught of humiliation.

Sure enough, Starscream strode in through the doorway seconds later, drones immediately stepping forward to offer him cubes of Energon which he impatiently waved away.

Standing to attention as Starscream halted his approach, Thundercracker nodded, a short, unheard exchange taking place.

Nodding again, Thundercracker quickly withdrew, disappearing from sight.

With his departure, Starscream stalked over to his usual seat, fingers steepled as he nodded to a nearby drone which approached and bowed before he rasped something to them.

The drone making off quickly to do his bidding, he finally looked up, optics sweeping over the now silent humans and landing on her.

Heart beating erratically, throat suddenly becoming rather dry, she quickly returned her attention downwards, attempting, again, to remove the side covering to the microwave.

With her haste, an unseen, jagged piece of glass still attached to the frame jerked upwards, slicing through her thumb. Gasping, she hissed in pain as blood began to steadily descend the length of her wrist, dripping to the floor.

Stuffing her thumb in her mouth, she attempted to stem the flow of blood, the strong, unpleasant taste of copper coating her tongue as the rasp of his voice filled the air, the Seeker extending a single digit, beckoning to her.

"Teegan, come here."

Filled with cold dread, she rose, slowly making her way through the gawking throng of humans surrounding her, and taking a deep, unsteady breath, paused before him, eyes low, mouth a thin line.

"Get to work." He rasped, his heeled foot shifting towards her a fraction.

Kneeling obediently with a soft sigh, she took in the laborious task ahead. He was exceedingly dirty today, large clods of mud with grass still attached peeking out from just about every visible crevice.

Wincing, she tried in vain to ignore the painful throb of her thumb as she began to work at the dried, caked-on mud, prying it away in clumps. With such exertion, blood began to seep profusely from the wound again, traces of it smearing across his light grey plating.

It didn't take long for him to notice.

"What happened?" He rasped down at her with an obvious hint of disgust.

"Why do you care?" She questioned sullenly before she could stop herself, forcing her gaze to remain on the large bolt near his ankle as she pried dirt from around it.

 _Indeed. Why would he care?_

"Well, we can't have you bleeding out already now, can we?" He stated after a brief pause, mouth quirking upwards into a cruel smile as he glared down at her, "That would be no fun. Not when I have so much more in store for you."

 _Ah. He was just being his typical, asshole self..._

Down at his feet, she scowled softly, mouth a thin line of grim determination as he continued mocking her.

"Have you been enjoying our one on one time together, Teegan?" He questioned smugly, "I certainly have."

 _I bet you have._

Striving to keep her expression neutral, she bit the inside of her lip, hard. She couldn't allow him to see that he was getting to her. If anything, it usually just made it worse.

"Yeah, it's been great," She replied as cheerfully as she could muster after a brief bout of silence, "In fact, do you have anything else I could assist you with? Maybe I could polish your cannons, detail your wings, organise your weaponry?"

The smug grin he had been wearing slipped ever so slightly as he continued to stare down at her, cold and unblinking.

"See," He rasped pointedly, "that is exactly the kind of attitude that finds you in this position, Teegan."

She said nothing, her face a resolute and mask-like countenance. Whatever he was about to say—if anything—never left his mouth, as loud footsteps alerted them to the fact the drone was finally returning.

With it, it carried the typical crate of rations ready to dispense once their shift was over.

Snapping his fingers, the drone stepped forward once more, forcing her to adjust her position near his ankle with unease.

One wrong move and she'd be squished. _She doubted Starscream would very much care anyway._

"Fetch me some high-grade."

Bowing at the snapped command, the drone quickly made off, disappearing through the doorway once more.

Shifting again, Teegan made to move over to his right foot in order to begin the same tedious process, but his voice hissed above her, making her freeze.

"You missed a bit."

Closing her eyes, anger stirred within her again, but she fought for calm. Starscream had proven himself quite the expert at irritating her. Resuming her prior position, she once again began scraping away at the metal surface of his left foot, all the while feeling his eyes on her.

Approximately ten minutes had passed since she had began working resolutely on his right foot. All the while, he sat watching her, drinking the high-grade the drone had retrieved for him.

Pausing, at last, she wiped away the sweat beading her forehead, leaning back upon her heels and silently waiting as he scrutinized her efforts.

Satisfied, he jerked his head in the direction of her fellow captives, a silent indication for her to return to her work. Obeying, she quickly made her way back to her station, all the while feeling every pair of eyes burning into her—including his _._

Carefully, as she sat cross-legged, she tore a shred of material from the bottom of her shirt and began quickly binding her still-bleeding injury, just as approaching footsteps resounded in the hallway.

Thundercracker appeared again, accompanied by a large cluster of humans.

Anxiously, Teegan straightened, trying to get a better view as the crowd began to disperse, and sure enough, saw a familiar blonde mop of crazy hair.

It took a moment for Ashly to notice her sat in her usual spot in the far corner, and it was with an excited squeal that the little girl made for her through the crowd with a mad dash.

Laughing, Teegan caught her as she flung herself into her open arms, hugging her tightly before ruffling her hair and holding her out at arm's length to get a better view of her.

Something was different...

She looked plumper. Healthier?

"I missed you!" Ashly exclaimed excitedly, hurriedly brushing crazy blonde curls from her eyes.

"Missed you too, kid." Teegan replied with a fond smile, but noted how the little girl's own faded away as she warily glanced sideways at Starscream.

"I thought... h-he..." Ashly stammered, face tinged with fear and woe as she recalled what had happened that day.

"I'm fine," Teegan assured her, gently placing a hand on her cheek. "Honest." Ashly's smile slowly made a reappearance as she played with a strand of Teegan's brown hair and continued excitedly.

"Guess what!?"

"What?"

"I've been given extra rations every day! Look how strong I've got!" Raising an arm, Ashly tensed her muscles, making Teegan laugh heartily, but, as Ashly continued chatting away to her excitedly, realization suddenly dawned on her.

Frowning, Teegan glanced upwards at Starscream. _He... he'd actually listened to her?_

Currently, the large jet was drumming his fingers upon the arm of the throne as he listened with impatience to a small mech chattering nervously at his feet. With a snarl, Starscream waved them away irately.

"Oh yeah!" Ashly suddenly exclaimed, drawing Teegan from her reverie and pulling her to her feet. "Come and meet my new friends!"

"Oh, no, Ashly," Teegan murmured, dragging her feet, "I'd rather just stay here. By myself." Pausing, Ashly turned, looking up at her confusedly.

"But you'll never make friends _that_ way..."

Teegan didn't know how to answer that one.

* * *

Around twenty minutes later, Teegan found herself sat awkwardly among a group of strangers, provided rations in hand.

Ashly had so far introduced her to Jahzel, a kid roughly her own age whom she already seemed quite close with, his dad, Wesley, a middle-aged Indian woman named Razia, and Jodie and her twin brother Jack. Both of whom were in their early twenties.

Despite her reluctance, Teegan had learned a couple of things from speaking with them.

Their current prison was named ' _Nexus'_ , a towering and impenetrable fortress erected by Megatron himself, and also a place which the army had supposedly failed to liberate.

Some people had been reunited with family here, whilst others, like herself, had sadly found no one from their past lives.

Starscream, it turned out, was in fact Second-in-Command to Megatron, and further to this unsettling news was the fact that everyone had already been stuck here for approximately three years now.

Evidently, escaping was impossible.

"Teegan?" Turning to her left at the questioning tone, she studied the smiling, crinkled face of the woman named Razia. "Do you know anything about Ashly's family?" She asked in low tones so no one would overhear, "Has she told you anything about them?"

"No," Teegan replied quietly, looking over at the small girl as she played tic-tack-toe excitedly with Jahzel, "I've tried speaking with her about it a couple of times, but she always closes up and refuses to speak."

"Yes, I've had the same problem." Razia conceded sadly before another voice, to her right this time, interrupted them. It was the dark-haired guy named Jack.

"So, Teegan," he grinned at her, shuffling closer, "how on earth did you survive out there for so long?"

"Yeah," Wesley agreed, sidling round in order to join in on the conversation, "I'm curious too."

Flustered as all eyes turned to her, Teegan lowered her own, deciding instead pick at some dead skin on her palm whilst she considered the question.

"I don't know..." She replied quietly, pausing briefly in thought, "I just did what I had to I guess."

"So," Jack's expression became more sombre in nature as his eyes darted toward Starscream briefly, then back to her, "how did you end up getting caught."

"I was alone for a while." She said softly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "after becoming separated from my group—"

"—What happened to them?" Jack interrupted, immediately regretting it when he noted the change in her expression, how her eyes fell away from him, sadness evident within them. "Yeah... um, stupid question really." Jack quickly added, "I-I'm sorry."

Teegan nodded mutely, eyes still downcast, and it was another brief moment before she finally found her voice again. Truth be told, she was contemplating where to start, and in a better moment of judgement, decided it was probably best to spare them any unpleasant details.

"After we got separated, I backtracked to find they'd already gone. I figured they might have travelled inward, toward the city, so I headed that way. I assumed the Decepticons had finally abandoned it, but they hadn't, so, I found some cover on the outskirts whilst I continued my search." Biting her lip, she paused briefly before continuing, "I ran out of water first. Then food grew low. I finally accepted that I would have to move on. Alone. However, I knew in order to make another long trip that I'd need to stock up, so, under cover of night, I decided to try my luck in the city." She paused again before adding with a slight shrug, "Turns out that was a big mistake."

"Hey," Jack stated with a soft pat on her arm, an action she regarded stiffly, "you did well. It was only a few weeks after the war broke out that me and J got caught." He indicated to his sister sat alongside him, whom of which brushed blonde bangs from her eyes and offered her a toothy grin.

"Luckily for us at this point," Jodie added with an impassive glance at her brother, "they'd stopped shooting on site and started taking prisoners, prisoners who swore allegiance to the Decepticon cause that is. Anyone who didn't, was..." she paused, drawing a deep breath, "killed there and then."

If anyone was about to add anything further, they didn't get the chance, for Barricade's harsh summons resounded within the large hall, making everyone collectively jump.

Teegan rose, shifting away from the others with relief as they all began to bid each other goodbye and quickly make for the exit.

Amongst all the chaos, Ashly suddenly materialised out of nowhere, nearly knocking her off balance as she embraced her into a tight hug.

"Whoa, hey," Teegan murmured with amusement, ruffling her hair, "What's all this for?"

"I'm just glad I got to see you again." Ashly paused briefly, looking up at her through tangles of blonde hair, "I just wanted to show you how much I care... just in case…" The little girl trailed off, and before troubling thoughts could plague her, Teegan swiftly knelt to become level with her, tone reassuring and firm.

"I'm not going anywhere, kiddo." Embracing her into another quick hug, she relinquished her hold, studying her at arm's length, "Now," She stated firmly with a grin, nodding to the adjacent exit, "Off to bed."

Mirroring her grin with a nod, Ashly quickly made off with Jahzel who'd been patiently waiting nearby, both of whom were quickly chased by a rather disgruntled looking Wesley.

Exhausted, and purposefully lagging behind, Teegan made her own way toward the exit, the familiar sensation of being watched seeping into her conscience as she did.

Even from here, among the bustle of hundreds of other humans, she could feel the intensity of his gaze upon her.

Discreetly, her eyes turned upward, almost immediately finding his.

Expression bearing little more than loathing, he spared her a look in search of some indication of submission but instead found ever-smouldering resentment and hatred within her grey-coloured depths.

* * *

"Wonder what it's like between them nice, shapely legs."

A voice, hoarse and low spoke from among a handful of others behind her as she made her way back to her cell. Others she had paid no mind to until now.

"Blimey, could you imagine?" A brief pause, before another voice, gruffer and more ravenous in nature spoke up in response, "Who said anything 'bout imagining? I say we have a little fun for fucking once."

Almost immediately, a hand snakes out, rough and calloused against malnourished flesh, weak from hunger and exhaustion.

Instinctively, she turns, lashing out, sharp nails sinking deep into flesh, an angered and pained gasp meeting her ears.

With force, she was grabbed from amongst her fellow slaves and thrown into the darkness of an adjoining corridor, her back painfully meeting the hard, metallic wall.

Releasing a pained hiss, her cold gaze meets that of her captor. His was just as cold, sharp and degrading as he looked her over with a satisfied leer.

"Very nice." He mumbled, plucking an unlit cigarette from between his lips before using the back of his hand to smear traces of blood from his neck.

Turning his hand over, he glanced down at the blood slicked across his dirtied skin before studying her ruthlessly.

"Well, you've just made this a whole lot more unpleasant for yourself." He stated in a deadly whisper, the stench of cigarette smoke lingering strongly upon his long, dirty-blonde hair filling her nostrils.

Lifting his hand to cup her cheek, she angled her face away in disgust, only encouraging it to roam downward to the neckline of her tank top.

Even as he spared her a look in search of pain or tearful protests, he found nothing but smouldering rage.

Again, as he grasped the thin material and forcefully tugged it downward, she attempted to wrench herself from his hold, but it proved unyielding, his anger only fuelling the power of his grip upon her.

If people in passing had noticed, none of them stopped to offer any form of help or assistance,and so, it was with growing resentment and fury that she began to despise humankind more so than she already did.

"Now, don't you be struggling." He growled breathlessly as she lashes out again to no avail, his free hand reaching down, desperately seeking the clasp of his pants. "Just keep those pretty lips shut, and I promise, you'll get to keep em."

Racious laughter rippled throughout his lingering cronies as they began to close in, except another hand, large and rugged suddenly reaches out, snaking firmly around her captor's and stopping him in his tracks.

Darting upwards, her eyes seek the face of her unexpected rescuer.

Striking blue eyes met hers briefly, set in a heavily tanned face. A face surrounded by a shock of speckled, grey hair.

"Like 'em young do ya?" The blonde man questioned, looking upon the other with a leering grin, "Well, wait your turn old man. Perhaps you can make use of whatever's left."

"Let her go." The other retorted, his accent distinctly American.

The man's voice is strong and commanding, yes, but Teegan knew it would not dissuade them. She strongly suspected not much could.

"I suggest you get your fucking hand offa me before you lose it." The other ground out, voice low and dangerous. "Maybe then, you'll learn to stay out of other people's business."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, than a loud, sickening ' _crack' followed_.

Lips parting, he bared yellowed teeth as he released an unconstrained howl.

Looking down, Teegan noted his thumb and forefinger now uprooted at an odd, violent angle, and only then did he relinquish his grip on her.

Stumbling backwards, he cradled the broken appendages to his chest, expression of unsettling fervour replaced suddenly by cold, murderous intent.

A moment of unnerving silence passed as the older man stood his ground, not a hint of fear upon his face, even when the other forewent the distance between them and raised a clenched fist.

"Human collaborators, get to your cells immediately or suffer the consequences!"

Barricade had arrived amidst all the commotion, red eyes aglow eerily in the dark as he peered around the corner, leering down at them.

Hardly foolish enough to remain and act upon violent impulse, the thug backed off, his cronies already absconding.

"Mark my words," The grey-haired man ground out, eyes hard as they remained fixed on the other as he began to walk away, "Men like you, they will always get their comeuppance."

"Watch your back old man," the other returned darkly over his shoulder, "You may just be getting yours sooner than you think."

With that, he disappeared around the corner, vanishing from sight.

Only once they themselves had passed Barricade, and she was certain he was out of earshot, did she speak up quietly.

"Thanks for that."

"No need to thank me, miss," the older man sighed, "I couldn't just stand by and let them..." He fell silent, rubbing the back of his head, his eyes downcast.

"Well, that makes you one of the rare few." She returned quietly, adjusting her top that was now torn slightly at the neckline.

"I know it may not seem it," He stated after a brief pause, a kindly and reassuring smile in place, "but there are still good people left out there. Far and few between mind you, but still some."

Eyes still focused ahead, she could sense his own studying her, and when she didn't respond, he proceeded to extend his hand in an introductory gesture, as though the thought had just occurred to him.

"Name's Harrison." He stated enthusiastically, "Yours?"

When she didn't offer her hand, he lowered his, looking over her closed, rigid expression with sombre understanding.

"Trust issues, aye?" He didn't wait for her to respond. "Understandable. I couldn't even begin to imagine what one so young could have possibly been through."

Oddly, she found herself touched by the humility of his tone. Now that she considered it, how long had it been since she had experienced sympathy and compassion from another human being?

"Had my fair share of trials and tribulations myself before ending up in this godforsaken place." Harrison added, his voice low, a hint of sadness seeping into it.

Uncertain as to whether or not she should act upon the fleeting impulse to question him, she decided against such a notion with a purposeful blink.

That's how it always starts after all. No. There was no place for friends here.

But she felt she owed him her name at least.

"Teegan." She offered shortly, already making to pass him as her cell came into view. "My name's Teegan."


	7. Reunion

"Hey, Screamer, how's your pet holding up?" Skywarp asked conversationally as they strolled along the rocky boundary toward a series of distant mountains. "She pulled her own audials off yet?"

Amused, Thundercracker guffawed loudly, Starscream, however, kept his gaze trained ahead, glancing down occasionally at the softly beeping scanner in his grasp as he followed the on-screen indicator.

"Carry on, Warp. It's all being logged up here." Starscream finally replied, tapping his helm, glossa poking out slightly as he studied the device and adjusted course to the right.

"Whoa, hey, I meant no offence." Skywarp replied, holding his hands up in mock innocence, "Ok, maybe a little." He added with a shrug as both his wingbrothers turned to look upon him sceptically, "but seriously, how does she stand all your screeching?"

"For your information, Skywarp," Starscream replied curtly, pausing again and tapping the scanner in impatience, "the only thing I find myself having to constantly screech at is _you_."

"Well," Skywarp huffed with a pout, "I will pretend you didn't just say that," Starscream rolled his optics, "I was just wonderin'" he continued hopefully, "if I could have a pet human of my own? They're pretty handy."

"For the last time," Starscream snapped as the device started to beep more insistently, "the femme isn't a _pet_. And besides," he added snidely, "even if I did allow you to, it would be dead within a solar cycle."

Pausing at the base of a mountain, as Skywarp folded his arms indignantly, Starscream swept the device parallel to the rocky peak in one swift motion, the beeping now erratic, and with a grin, turned to his wing brothers.

"We've got a hit. Thundercracker, fetch the humans."

* * *

After what seemed like forever, light struck her dirt-streaked face _,_ stinging her functioning eye with its brilliance as she stepped off of the ship with her fellow captives.

Adjusting to the assaulting brightness, her gaze flicked across the expansive wasteland, taking in the rearing mountains ahead, then the three large Seekers stood nearby.

Thundercracker was in conversation with Skywarp, Starscream busy perusing a datapad with a frown nearby.

Anxiously, she and the other humans slowly approached the three, winged Decepticons, pausing near the rear of the ship.

No one dared speak. Everyone was completely still and silent as they awaited their orders.

 _What a mess._ She thought morosely, looking around at the dried, dismal-looking landscape. It was completely devoid of life. Not even a bird's song could be heard.

 _This place was beautiful once. Teaming with life... and now look at it._

With a scowl, her eyes flicked away from the dismal scene before her and back up to Starscream, hatred amplifying within her to a whole new level.

 _He did this. Skywarp did this. Even Thundercracker_ — _as OK as he seemed_ — _had played a part in all of this. Winged assholes. The lot of them._

Sensing her gaze on him, Starscream looked up, scanning the patiently waiting humans before his eyes locked on her, large, blood-red orbs snatching hers, and he smirked cruelly at her, baring a single fang.

Averting her gaze sullenly, she kicked a small stone at her feet.

 _Today was going to be superb. As usual._

"Human collaborators," Starscream growled as he stowed the datapad and began to prowl back and forth before them, arms positioned rigidly behind his winged back, "you are to excavate this area here," he motioned ahead with a sweep of his arm to the base of the largest mountain, "according to my initial scans, it runs two metres deep and spans half a mile wide, and there's more than enough of you to accomplish this in one day. So," he snapped, pausing and glaring at them all expectantly, "better get to work."

Quickly making off, the gathered humans began shuffling past the three large Seekers, tools in hand.

Gripping her own tool tightly, Teegan followed suit, keeping her head low as she passed Starscream in particular.

Not that it ever did much good.

"Ah, Teegan," Starscream intoned silkily, his back to her as he paused mid-conversation with Thundercracker, "I have a different task in mind for you."

Slowing to a stop, as everyone around her gave her rather empathetic glances, Teegan closed her eyes, willing for calm.

What horrific " _task_ " could he possibly have in store for her…?

As Skywarp and Thundercracker slowly made off after the throng of humans, Starscream briskly turned to face her.

"So, you may as well leave _that_ ," he indicated with a jerk of his head to the tool in her hand, then jerked it to the ship, "over there."

Obeying, she approached the ship, depositing her tool against it before making her way back to him, willing herself to not look as miserable as she felt.

Pausing at his feet, she waited on bated breath.

"Do you recall your offer?" Starscream asked casually, leaning against the ship's bow as she glanced up at him with confusion.

"Offer?" Teegan repeated slowly with a frown.

"Yes." Starscream replied smoothly, "The offer to organize my weaponry for me?"

Closing her eyes and dropping her head, Teegan released a sigh. _Well, this is what happens when you get cocky, Teegan. **Especially** with him._

"Yeah," she replied sullenly, "I remember."

"Well," he rasped at length, smiling down at her far below him smugly and straightening to full height once more, "I'd like to take you up on that offer."

Watching as he approached the nearby ship, he was swallowed by darkness briefly as he disappeared inside, re-emerging a moment later with a large, tarp-covered bundle in his arms.

Pausing before her, he dropped it with a ground-trembling thud at her feet, the thick material falling aside to reveal an array of strange-looking artillery and fearsome-looking weapons.

"Whoa." She murmured in a hushed whisper despite herself.

Dropping to her knees, she reached out to touch one before halting in her tracks and hesitantly looking up.

"You have my permission do you not?" Starscream stated in uncharacteristically soft tones.

A beat in time passed in silence as their eyes remained locked, his expression unreadable, and it was with a sudden, unexpected shiver creeping down her spine that she quickly broke the spell, looking down and picking up the weapon.

It was solidly made and extremely heavy in her palms. Scale-like metal covered its entirety, acting as some sort of protective hyde around the frame. The trigger was probably the same size as a banana.

All the while, Starscream watched her in silence, arms folded, his expression still closed, unfathomable.

Others were much larger and therefore impossible to lift, so she resorted to rolling them over with effort, studying them with curious eyes.

"Impressed?" Starscream asked with a grin, moving off to seat himself on a nearby, overturned crate before retrieving a datapad from his subspace.

She nodded mutely; eyes still wide with wonder as she picked up something that looked reminiscent of a cannon that would have been found on a pirate ship in the old days.

"You can polish them while you're at it," He added, nodding to a large piece of fabric near her thigh, "with that."

As she set about carefully polishing the cannon with the provided cloth, Starscream retrieved a cube of Energon from inside the ship and returned, seating himself again.

She had flinched both when he had got up and when he had returned, but other than that, he hadn't bothered her like he usually did.

In fact, when she considered it, she could say that this was the most pleasant time they'd spent in each other's company thus far.

Other than the null-ray incident, he hadn't technically harmed her since...

 _No Teegan. Don't be stupid._ _He's just biding his time. He needs you in one piece for now to do his bidding._ _Yes_. _He will use you for as long as he needs and then dispose of you. Likely in a gruesome way, too..._

With the sudden, approaching footsteps of Thundercracker however, Starscream's demeanour lost its placid element and resumed that of stoic, cold master once again.

"I want them sparkling." He growled as he rose from his seat and stepped over her.

Teegan sighed softly, expression detached as she carefully placed the polished cannon down and retrieved a weapon alongside it.

"What's the problem?" Starscream demanded.

"We're a drill down," Thundercracker informed him, the Air Commander growing thoroughly displeased at such news, "so we've only got two functioning."

"Not good enough." Starscream snapped furiously making Teegan flinch far below on the ground behind him.

 _Wow. His voice sure could carry when he was angry..._

"Well, there's not much I can do other than have Skywarp warp another one here from a different location." Thundercracker replied resolutely, evidently used to his brother's temper.

"No." Starscream replied dismissively, "the last thing I need is Megatron asking questions." Thundercracker nodded mutely in agreement before Starscream snapped another command at him.

"Fetch the human," He jerked his head towards the nearby ship, "That's what he's here for."

Placing his fingers to the side of his helm, Starscream turned away, activating his commlink as Thundercracker entered and disappeared into the ship.

"Skywarp," he snapped, staring off into the distance as static crackled briefly before Skywarp's brash voice came through.

"Yeah, Scream?"

"I need you to bring the broken drill back to the ship. I will have the human fix it."

"Sure thing," The purple 'con replied genially, "Skywarp out."

Lowering his forefingers, Starscream turned back toward the ship, just as Thundercracker emerged, the small form of a human male shuffling along behind him down the ramp.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Teegan shifted and looked up from her task briefly, shocked to see that it was none other than Harrison. The man who'd come to her rescue just a few days prior.

Stranger still, was Skywarp suddenly appearing out of thin air with a ' _crack_ ' nearby, something that made her release an involuntary yelp of surprise.

Unfazed by the sudden appearance of his wingbrother, Starscream indicated with a nod as to where he wanted the large drill set down, that of which was currently clutched to Skywarp's cockpitted chest.

As the shock began to ebb, Teegan turned back toward Harrison who'd since noticed her.

Offering her a puzzled look as he studied the vast array of weapons sprawled around her, he tore his gaze away when Starscream stepped forward and addressed him.

"How long before it can be up and running again?" Starscream demanded, indicating with a jerk of his head to the drill as Skywarp stepped back and vanished into thin air once more.

"Well, let me jus' take a look-see," Harrison replied cheerfully, approaching the machine before kneeling to get a better look at it. "Hmm..." he murmured at length, shifting and ducking beneath the carriage briefly before standing and dusting his hands off, "Rotary mechanism is busted I think. Likely going to take me a couple of hours."

Starscream's lip curled further into a sneer. _Damn Megatron to the pit!_

He had the sneaking suspicion the Warlord had purposefully dispersed his share of repair drones worldwide in order to make his life more difficult.

Why did Megatron need so many outposts anyway? The fool spent the majority of his time lazing about at Nexus. _Slag it!_ He would just have to make do with the humans and their basic skills for now.

Releasing a huff of defeat, as Harrison set to work, Starscream made for the overturned crate again, seating himself alongside her once more. Teegan tensed, not daring to look up as she continued working laboriously.

Accustomed to Starscream's moods by now, she knew that this was the time to remain as insignificant as possible.

 _This_ Starscream was the most unpredictable. When he was in a foul mood. Silent and simmering with a rage that could overspill at any second.

Then there was arrogant Starscream, where he took delight in making a snide comment here, a derogatory remark there.

Then there was the cruel and calculating aspect to his personality. His expression neutral but eyes unmistakably cold as he concocted something unpleasant for his intended target.

Yet, to her, the most unnerving of all was when he was contemplative and watchful. Occasionally studying her with a strange, closed expression.

One she had been subjected to more frequently as of late.

* * *

It was dusk by the time Thundercracker returned with the mass of rather filthy and exhausted humans in tow.

Harrison had fixed the drill in half the stated time, after Starscream had given him a couple of warning glares when he felt he'd been working too slowly, and it had been returned to the mine by Skywarp.

Looking up from the mass of scattered datapads he'd been scrutinizing for the past couple of hours, Starscream rose briskly at the sight of his brother.

"Where's Skywarp?" He immediately asked as his optics swept over the gathered humans and beyond into the growing darkness.

"He wanted an excuse to stretch his wings," Thundercracker replied tiredly, rubbing his jaw, "so he went off to scout the surrounding area about a breem ago."

"Comm him and tell him I want him back here _now_." Starscream growled as he approached the shuttle the humans had just hauled up the rocky hillside.

Optics roving over the amassed spoils, he bent down and studied them, optic ridges rising exceptionally high.

It seemed his scans were correct. This site, to coin a human phrase, was a _goldmine_!

"I can't get through to him," Thundercracker intoned with a frown, "he must be going over a bad patch."

Growling in irritation, Starscream straightened, pressing his forefingers to the button of his commlink in order to try himself, but before the call could connect, the distant rumble of an approaching jet filled the air making everyone simultaneously look up into the darkening skies.

Folding his arms with a sneer, Starscream remained unfazed as Skywarp transformed, dropping with an earth-trembling thud at his feet.

Breathlessly, he quickly saluted, but as Starscream opened his mouth in order to berate him, the purple Seeker spoke.

"Humans," he stammered, doubling over and placing his servos on his kneecaps as he struggled to even out his breathing.

"Where?" Starscream demanded with a quirked optic ridge, curiosity evidently piqued as his red gaze flicked upward, studying the darkening landscape.

"Five kliks south of here." Skywarp replied more evenly, straightening to full height, "they heard my engines and hid."

"How many?"

"I counted six, but there might be more." Skywarp answered as Starscream began to pace, placing a digit to his chin in thought.

"Hmmm," Starscream stated after a moment, pausing, "hardly worth the effort, but if they are as close as you say, it may be worth taking a look."

"Only problem is," Skywarp added with a disappointed frown, "we don't have the means of collecting them, and I'm not having any filthy squishies in my cockpit."

Glaring around him in thought, Starscream's gaze settled on a nearby empty crate before he turned to his wing brothers with a smirk, one they regarded with shared grimaces.

* * *

It was approximately twenty minutes later when Skywarp and Thundercracker landed again in humanoid form, the large crate clutched by Skywarp now full of protesting humans.

As Skywarp dropped it carelessly to the ground, Starscream paused in his pacing, a sneer falling upon the rattling object before he indicated with a jerk of his head for his wingbrother to free them.

Grinning evilly, Skywarp raised a large foot and kicked the crate over with force, dazed, shrieking humans tumbling out and sprawling onto the rocky ground at the Air Commanders feet.

Frantically scuffling backwards to re-join one another, the small group of humans looked wildly around them, trembling as they gawped up at the three sets of leering red eyes in the darkness.

Teegan studied these newly captured humans. Three men and two women. One in particular, she noted, stood out from among the others.

The young woman's eyes were sharp and piercing, blue in colour, her head topped with a mane of wild, blonde hair...

"I thought you said you counted six?" Starscream finally stated after ridiculing the humans evilly for a moment.

"I umm... had a little accident." Skywarp replied sheepishly, looking down at his pedes.

Starscream rolled his optics, mouth tugging into a sinister smile as he refocused his attention on the new humans once more.

"Well, well, well," he rasped at length, hands on his narrow hips as he leant downwards to get a better view of them, their resulting fear further nurturing his mirth. "You have done well to avoid the Decepticon fold for this long." Starscream stated calmly, straightening once more and beginning to pace slowly before them like a hungry lioness, "but tell me, who here is tired of going to sleep hungry? Of scrounging for your next meal like an insect? Spending day after day and night after night in the bitter wind, the scorching sun, the endless rain?" He spat the last word in particular disgust, "who here would like to end all of this unnecessary suffering for good? With the guarantee of a warm place to sleep and regular sustenance?" He paused briefly, watching as this information seemed to rouse two of the humans in particular, "Well, you can have all of this in exchange for one, simple thing," he paused pointedly, fixing them with a glare, "your _loyalty_."

As silence hung heavily upon the air, one of the men staggered to his feet and stepped forward, away from the others, those of which were frantically murmuring for him to sit back down and keep quiet. He ignored them.

"Don't believe a word this fucking alien scum says." He spat, hands fisted at his sides as he glared up at the leering jet.

Starscream studied him far below, expression darkly amused as the man's voice rose to a bellow.

"We will _never_ join you. You hear me!? Never!"

"Well," Starscream replied at length, looking to his brothers with a callous grin, "isn't that a shame."

Thundercracker grimaced. _When Starscream wore that particular grin, it was never a good thing._

"I suppose there's only one other thing for it then." Starscream added darkly, looking from his brothers and back down to the defiant, human male stood before him.

Only able to hold his arms up in abject horror, the man crumpled like a brittle, winter twig snapped underfoot, a sickening ' _snap_ ' filling the air as Starscream's huge foot came down atop him without pause.

Twisting his heel in relish, as a nearby woman reeled and vomited violently amongst a chorus of shrieks and horrified gasps, Starscream stepped back again, sneering with satisfaction.

"Has anyone else got anything to say?"

The remaining humans frantically shook their heads in mute terror, eyes determinedly avoiding the bloody mess now spread across the ground in front of them.

"Good." Starscream stated quietly before looking to his wing brothers. "Evidently," he mused "the others didn't share his sentiments."

Skywarp chuckled mirthlessly, smacking a rather perturbed-looking Thundercracker on the back.

"Round them up with the others." Starscream barked as he turned away towards the ship, his demeanour becoming business-like, "We embark on the return trip to base in exactly three klicks."

* * *

Aching and not feeling particularly hungry after what she had witnessed earlier, Teegan made her way among hundreds of others through the long, vast corridors towards the main hall in order to collect her share of rations.

She had decided she would give them to Ashly rather than them going to waste.

Staring at nothing in particular, as Barricade kept a watch close by, Teegan stood impatiently among the throng of others when a voice, one she immediately recognized, caught her attention.

"Hey, kid." Turning, she saw Harrison approaching, wearing his usual, friendly grin.

"Long day." He stated, drawing up alongside her with a sigh, rubbing the grease coating his hands on his baggy, checked shirt. Teegan offered no response.

Undaunted, he leaned in, his grin reappearing, "Believe it or not," he murmured, "I've actually been looking forward to eating this crap." He indicated with a nod to the crate full of rations up ahead.

That got a slight smile out of her, but she ensured he didn't see it as she stood on tiptoe, feigning interest in how far the que had moved.

"So," Harrison spoke up, glancing at her quizzically as he folded his large, muscled arms, "what finds you in Starscream's good books?"

Dark brows quirking slightly in response, Teegan continued to stare ahead, rubbing her nose before replying nonchalantly.

"I said he had no ball-bearings. Unluckily for me, he heard."

Harrison let out a long, low whistle.

"Well, I'm surprised you lived to tell the tale," He stated disbelievingly as they shuffled forward slightly in line, "Believe me, Starscream don't take his ego being bruised lightly."

"Ha, don't I know it." Teegan replied with a humourless laugh, "He holds a grudge, that's for sure." She paused briefly in thought, then looked upon him inquiringly, "So, how come _you're_ on first name terms with him? You like... his personal assistant or something?"

"You could say that." Harrison replied with a cryptic smile, and she frowned, "Nah. Just kidding." He chuckled, noting her expression, "I'm more or less his liaison for anything machine related," He sighed, a derisive grin lifting the edges of his mouth, "Yep. My new life revolves around repairing alien tech," He paused for a moment before adding with a shrug, "Well, as best I can anyway."

"How on earth do you even know where to start?" Teegan asked disbelievingly.

Tapping his nose in mock secrecy, he offered her another cryptic smile, one she considered in silence before shrugging.

They stood quietly for a few moments before he spoke up again, shifting closer, voice low and soft as to not let anyone around them overhear.

"Hey... um, about what happened the other night—"

"—I don't want to talk about it." Teegan interjected firmly, eyes darting sideways to fix him pointedly before looking away again.

"Well," He replied at length, studying her carefully, "I think you need—"

"—You don't know what I _need_." She snapped in clipped tones, and she became abruptly aware of the hurt look that passed behind his gaze before he looked away.

"Look," She stated quietly, shame and guilt finally getting the better of her, "thanks for what you did. It was extremely brave of you, but that doesn't make us friends."

"Well," he replied softly, eyes lifting once more to search hers, "I think friends should be your biggest priority right now. God knows you'll need them in this place."

"I'm just fine on my own, thanks."

"No one is fine on their own," casting a sad look around him, he released a soft sigh, "Not anymore. The most important thing you could have right now is people looking out for you."

"I've never needed anyone before and I certainly don't now," She returned dismissively, "Besides, I don't trust anyone in this damn place. _You_ included."

The last words came out harsher than intended, but for the moment, she didn't care.

Harrison could only look upon her in silence. This young, broken soul with so little trust for anyone or anything around her. But what could he possibly do? What could he do to make her trust again? Would she ever trust again?

"If you keep seeing everyone as an enemy," he stated calmly from behind her as she reached into the crate and retrieved her rations, "enemies are all you're gonna find. I get that it's hard, but you can't live the rest of your life not trusting anyone."

"Well, it's served me well so far." She shot back. With that, she turned on her heel and made off toward the emptiest section of the hall she could find, not looking back.

* * *

"Hey, kiddo," Teegan murmured with a tired smile as Ashly deposited herself into her lap, eating the extra rations she'd given her hungrily.

Exhausted from running around with Jahzel, she sighed, impatiently brushing her curls out of her sweaty face.

Stroking her hair absently, Teegan stared ahead at the remaining fugitives as they each collected their rations, not that she was really taking much notice. She was deep in thought.

 _This little girl had lost everything. At just ten years old this was to be her life from now on._

 _The poor kid. It wasn't fair. Would this war ever end? Would the Decepticons ever leave and return to wherever it was they had come from? Or, would they simply choose to just stay here and kill them all?_

Suddenly, Ashly abruptly jolted out of her lap, drawing her from her thoughts.

"Hey, wait! Ashly, Ashly!" Teegan bellowed, tearing after her when she noted that the little girl was making a beeline for the ration crate, "What are you doing!?"

But no. She wasn't going for the crate. She was going for a woman...

A woman whom she flung herself against and collapsed to the ground with.

Pausing breathlessly, Teegan watched on as they clung to one another, the woman sobbing in relief into the little girl's unruly curls as she clutched her close to her chest.

This was Ashly's... _mother_.

A woman who looked strangely familiar...

 _Where had she seen her before?_

 _Of course! She was among the group Skywarp had caught!_

Starscream briskly entering the hall had all those nearby scattering out of his path and falling silent.

Warily, Teegan took an automatic step backwards, looking to Ashly who didn't seem to notice his presence right away. She was far too wrapped in the elation of seeing her mother again.

What Starscream did to that guy was horrifically, permanently, burned into her mind. Thank goodness Ashly wasn't there to see it. She doubted the girl would even stay in the same room as him if she had...

Taking his usual seat, Starscream snapped his fingers at a drone that briskly approached him and bowed low.

Rising from her mother's lap, Ashly finally noted Starscream's presence, glancing at him fearfully before taking her mother by the hand and hastily leading her back toward Teegan with a watery smile.

"This is Teegan, mummy." She stated happily as they approached, "I have so much to tell you!"

* * *

"Thank you," Ashly's mother, Amy-Rose, stated quietly with a soft pat on her hand, "for looking after my little girl."

Sat in her mother's lap, Ashly slowly dozed off beneath her caressing fingertips as they spoke quietly under Starscream's watch.

The hall had grown decidedly quieter since he had appeared, and Teegan was somewhat thankful for it.

"She was taken by the helicopter one in the night," she indicated discreetly to Blackout who was in the far corner guffawing over something with Skywarp, "I told her over and over again not to wander. To never leave the refuge without me." She paused briefly, shaking her head, "I knew she had been taken because he'd been flying around the area all week, and I knew I had to get caught myself if I ever wanted to see her again."

"She's a smart kid." Teegan murmured, confusion creasing her brow, "Why on earth would she leave?"

"Her father had cancer, though, being so young, she didn't fully understand what was happening." Amy-Rose answered sadly, "We... we didn't want her to see his body, so we buried it nearby the refuge under darkness. The next morning, when she woke, I told her the news. She was angry at me. Angry I didn't let her say goodbye. It was that night, while I was sleeping, that she snuck out."

 _So was that why Ashly had that meltdown?_ Teegan thought to herself as she mulled over the vivid details of that day on the wastelands.

Amy-Rose dropped her head into her free hand with a grimace, "It's all my fault." She murmured bitterly, "I handled it completely the wrong way."

With uncertainty, Teegan placed her hand gently on the young woman's knee, causing her to look up and study her imploringly. Mouth opening then closing in hesitancy, the woman drew in a shuddering breath before speaking.

"You're going to think me horrible, Teegan...," She paused, biting her lip anxiously before drawing another unsteady breath, "but today, when a group of us were captured and brought here... that was my fault, too."

"What do you mean?" Teegan questioned, a little taken aback.

"I-I lingered when the jet flew over... when everyone else ran. I... I made sure he discovered where our hideout was... a-and now..." she paused, tears beginning to brim within her eyes, the tightness growing within her chest making a simple inhale of breath difficult, "two people, two good, innocent people are... are dead because of me." A sob finally made its way past her lips, and she dropped her head into her hand again.

"Hey," Teegan whispered as shudders began to wrack her body, "You did what you had to do in order to see your little girl again. Lives were bound to be lost, but at least she has you again. At least you know she's safe, and safer still now you're here."

Amy-Rose's brow creased slightly as she appeared to mull this over, and, after a brief moment, wiped her face determinedly on her sleeve, offering Teegan a weak, watery smile.

Patting her arm, Teegan glanced upwards, studying Starscream in quiet contemplation.

"I've done things too." She whispered at length, eyes becoming glazed, expression tinged with something unidentifiable , "In order to survive. It's just... how things are now."

Absently, Teegan continued to stare ahead, lost in thought, and it was only when the Seeker broke away from conversation with another mech and his own eyes rolled upward, locking with hers, that she was drawn from her reverie, her heart skipping a beat.

How long had she been staring at him and not realized?

There it was again. That same closed, unfathomable expression. One she found herself shifting anxiously beneath as she quickly looked away, an unexpected flush rising to her cheeks.


	8. Skeptical

**A/N: Firstly, a big thank you to those who've left comments thus far. I really appreciate the support!**

 **I've tried to do a little flashback here, but from someone else's point of view, so please don't be confused when you think you've read this before.**

 **Warning: a scene of self-harm also takes place in this chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Skeptical**

* * *

"We're a drill down, so we've only got two functioning."

 _Great_. Teegan thought from her spot upon the ground as she carefully set about polishing the heavy cannon.

 _Starscream was going to be pissed, and Thundercracker would probably only be the first to feel his wrath..._

Sure enough, Starscream's voice cut through the air like a knife, making her wince.

"Not good enough."

 _Wow. His voice sure could carry when he was angry..._

Just as she set down the now gleaming cannon and proceeded to pick up an adjacent gun, something else suddenly caught her interest.

The object in question was square and flat in its entirety and a little smaller than a laptop screen in size.

"Well, there's not much I can do other than have Skywarp warp another one here from a different location." She heard Thundercracker reply.

Though she couldn't see their faces, she could easily picture their expressions.

Starscream's mouth tugged into a sneer, his arms folded, Thundercracker's face a picture of exasperation, and she had to bite back a grin.

With the two Decepticons in the midst of conversation, she looked the object over again and acted upon impulse, carefully placing the gun down and reaching out to pick it up.

It was almost glass-like in its totality, and completely black in colour.

Running curious fingertips along its edge, something suddenly pressed inward with a ' _click_ ' and she gasped as the screen leapt to life beneath her fingertips.

Two red dots immediately appeared on the green-tinged screen, the area surrounding them blinking with repetitive, outward ripples.

Confused, she frowned down at the strange device, wondering what on earth its purpose could be.

"No," She heard Starscream growl, "the last thing I need is Megatron asking questions. Fetch the human. That's what he's here for."

Teegan felt the ground tremble as Thundercracker made his way past her, and she noted in shock a little red dot that had just been stationary now moving steadily upwards on the screen.

Glancing up, she watched as Thundercracker entered the ship then returned her attention downward to the red dot which appeared to pause briefly before moving off again.

Was this a... a tracking device? Yes, it had to be. It must track signals of Decepticon origin! And these dots, these red markers, they were Thundercracker and Starscream!

This device could get her out of Nexus. Ashly and her mother, too! This object was worth its weight in gold!

Heart pounding erratically in regard to the actions she was about to commit, Teegan cautiously turned, stealing a glance at Starscream.

Currently, he was turned away from her, his fingers pressed to the side of his helm as he spoke to someone over his commlink.

Quickly shuffling onto her knees, she lifted up the back of her top, sticking the device flat to her lower back, the band of her jeans providing adequate security as she slid the base of the device into them.

It was cold against her flesh, and she winced briefly before adjusting her clothes and quickly resuming her assigned task, just as Thundercracker re-emerged from the doorway of the ship.

At last. Something concrete. Something that finally offered some hope of escape.

* * *

"He's not happy," Thundercracker murmured to Skywarp as he rubbed his chin—a habit of his when he was anxious or exasperated,—"not at all."

Nearby, Teegan listened with rapt attention from her spot upon the floor where she was working.

 _Uh oh. Who was Starscream mad at?_ She gulped. _Had he discovered that she'd took the device? Was her plan of escape already foiled?_

If so, she would most definitely not be spared this time. He would assuredly blast her to bits on the spot. Or, worse yet, step on her like he had that man...

She winced, gulping again.

The others had been assigned elsewhere, so she had been in the hall since morning, working alone.

Truth be told, she preferred it this way. Any given opportunity where she could sit quietly, alone in her self-imposed solitude, was something she greatly relished.

Consequently, she still hadn't had the chance to tell Amy-Rose of her plan though, nor show her the device.

"Where is he now?" She heard Skywarp ask, a note of worry evident in his voice, and she perked up again, listening.

"Around twelve klicks away, so not far," Thundercracker replied with a sigh, "he wouldn't even speak with me. He cut all communication."

Sweat began to coat her palms. _He knew. Shit! Starscream knew! And he was on his way back to base to kill her!_

It wasn't long before the large, heavy door to the throne room was flung open, Starscream striding into the hall with a furious scowl etched upon his face.

Skywarp hastily jumped out of the throne he'd been lounging in.

"Scream! We were just—"

"—Where is he!?" Starscream cut across him with a snarl, making past his smaller brother and seating himself in the now vacant throne, optics sweeping darkly around the room.

Skywarp actually took a hesitant step backward.

"He's, umm... I'll go get him!" Hastily, Skywarp made off, clearly anxious to get as far away from Starscream's fury as possible.

Thundercracker, however, remained calm and collected as he approached and stood beside his seated brother.

"Go easy on him Scream, he's only—"

"—I will do what I like!" Starscream screeched, pounding his fist upon the arm of his chair, and the gathered humans flinched and cowered.

Glancing up discreetly, Teegan watched as Thundercracker glumly drew back from his simmering Trine leader.

Starscream's typically pristine paint job was filthy, the majority of his legs and wings mud-spattered.

He looked like he'd been through the wars, fury practically radiating off of him as he glared around the room. Whatever he'd been through, someone was about to pay...

 _Breathe, Teegan, breathe!_ She repeated frantically in her mind, pausing in her work again to wipe her sweaty palms on her jeans.

 _It's not you he's after, but escaping should definitely be at the top of your priority list before he does inevitably find out what you've done..._

A familiar voice greeted her, and she had been so lost in her incoherent jumble of thoughts that it took a moment for her mind to register Jack and his younger sister now seating themselves alongside her.

"Hey, you OK?" Jack asked anxiously, tearing his wary gaze away from Starscream then fixing her with raised brows, "you look a bit pale."

"I'm always pale." Teegan replied dismissively, offering him a small, brief smile, one he returned in kind.

Truthfully, company in this particular moment wasn't unwelcome. If anything, it could serve as a welcome distraction.

"We thought you'd appreciate some company," Jack added in hushed tones, "looks as though something's about to go down." He indicated with a discreet nod in Starscream's direction, and Teegan offered them both a grateful smile.

Twiddling her dirtied blonde locks, Jodie sighed dramatically.

"Do you think it will be much longer before they release us like they promised and we get to go home?"

Jack, with a slight, thoughtful frown, opened his mouth to reply, but Teegan angrily cut across him.

"Seriously?" She asked with disbelief, studying the now reddening blonde with a scowl, "If, for one moment, you believe that they are going to set us free, you're more naive than I thought. And besides," she added pointedly, "there's nothing left to go home to!"

"W-what I-I meant was..." Jodie stammered, wringing her hands with growing embarrassment and anxiety, "was—"

"—Jodie," Jack murmured quietly, offering her a pointed look, "just drop it."

Clamping her mouth shut, tears suddenly brimmed within her eyes, and she swiftly rose, hands fisted at her sides as she glared down at him.

"Well," she huffed furiously, "thanks for sticking up for me, jerk!" With that, she hastily made off, wiping tears from burning cheeks as Jack sighed, calling after her.

"J, wait! Come on, come back!" But she dismissed his please with a wave of her hand, quickly sitting and consequently becoming lost amongst the mass of other humans.

"Sorry about my sister." Jack mumbled, shaking his head and running a hand exasperatedly through his overgrown locks, "She never—"

Skywarp entering the hall with an overly smug expression had Jack falling silent, both his and Teegan's eyes warily turning upwards.

Pattering footsteps could be heard coming from behind the purple jet, and, as Skywarp turned, striding back over to his simmering brother, revealed the small mech known as Frenzy.

Timidly pausing in the archway, Frenzy entered cautiously before catching sight of Starscream.

Glimpsing the large Seeker, he made an about turn but paused mid-step when Starscream's sharp voice cut through the silence.

"There you are, you little grease stain." Starscream beckoned imperiously with a single digit, "Come here."

Hands clasped together and trembling head to foot, Frenzy, under the tense, silent watch of everyone in the hall, approached the large jet, helm bowed low as he paused before him, wringing his servos.

Purposefully allowing the uncomfortable silence to drag on a few moments longer, Starscream observed the small mech with disdain, optics slits, lips tugged into a dangerous sneer before they parted, an incensed, thundering roar leaving them.

"You gave me the wrong co-ordinates you little slagger! Are you incapable of the simplest tasks!?"

The resounding bellow was only magnified further by the bare, metal walls enclosing them, and the gathered humans actually grimaced in pain, covering their ears.

Frenzy actually took three steps backward as Starscream continued his furious tirade.

"No thanks to you, you useless little scrap, I've spent the best part of a cycle chasing a lost cause all over this filthy, mud-ridden planet!"

With an incensed wave of his large servo, Starscream sent Frenzy flying across the length of the hall, the small mech crashing into the adjacent wall with a thundering crash.

"This is the last time you make me look like a fool!"

Thundercracker winced as a dazed Frenzy detached himself from the now dented wall, parts falling away from him with a clatter as he struggled to his feet.

Skywarp, on the other hand, found the whole display hilarious, the Seeker almost bent double as he guffawed with relish.

Sensors still crashing from the impact, Frenzy staggered slightly, using the wall for support as he shook his helm in an attempt to clear it of the static blurring his vision.

"Bloody hell," Teegan heard someone murmur from nearby, "a heart attack will finish me off at this rate." She couldn't agree more.

Finally recovering, Frenzy began picking up the various pieces that had become detached from him with a slight scowl.

The sound of Jack clearing his throat drew her gaze from the small, scowling mech and back to him.

"As I was saying," he smirked, as if all the commotion hadn't occurred, "sorry about my sister. She's always had a knack for blurting things out and not thinking before she speaks." He paused briefly, "You're right though, about not having a home left to go back to I mean. I'm sorry that what she said upset you."

"It's OK." Teegan returned quietly, eyes downcast as shame arose in the form of a pink flush upon her cheeks, "besides, I should be the one apologizing. I was a bit harsh. I-I just…" she paused briefly in uncertainty before continuing, "I have anger issues I should really try and work on."

In her exposed and anxious state, she absentmindedly rubbed her wrist—a habit formed over the years whenever she felt as such. The leather sleeve of her jacket was pushed upwards slightly as a result, revealing a series of angry, crisscrossing slashes spanning the length of her arm. A notable contrast to the pale tone of her flesh.

Noting Jack's expression as he glanced downwards and caught sight of them, Teegan quickly realized her mistake, and with burning cheeks, sheepishly tugged her sleeve back down.

But it was too late.

"You know," Jack spoke up quietly, clearing his throat and awkwardly running his hand through his hair once more, "if you ever want to talk to someone, anyone, you can?"

"I'm fine." Teegan replied far too quickly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear and looking away, "I-I'm just going to go and help..." She trailed off, already rising before he could protest, and hurriedly made off in the direction of Frenzy who was unsuccessfully attempting to reattach pieces to himself.

"Hey, um, Frenzy, right?" Teegan asked uncertainly as she approached him.

Pausing in the midst of trying to reattach a piece of plating to his upper back, the red and black mech slowly turned to face her.

"Yeah...?" He replied uncertainly, looking her over dubiously. Undoubtedly, given his reaction, she had been one of the only humans to ever dare approach him and actually speak to him.

Yet, his less than favourable reaction didn't deter her. Given his smaller stature, he wasn't half as scary as the larger 'cons—Megatron especially.

"Here, let me help." Teegan offered, reaching out in order to take the part from his grasp, but he took an immediate step backwards, clutching it to his chassis.

"Um, no offence," He stated with a frown as Teegan lowered her outstretched hand with a slightly affronted expression, "but the last thing I'd want touching me is a squishie _."_

"Please yourself," Teegan replied with a shrug; turning away, "I'll just leave you to it then." Making off, a frustrated sigh reached her ears, the small mech relenting and calling out after her.

"Human, wait."

Slowing to a stop, Teegan turned, making her way back toward him, a slight grin curving her lips when she noted his thoroughly unamused expression at requiring her help, the plating now held out to her.

"Here," he stated, opening his subspace and retrieving a fairly small but robust-looking tool before turning and exposing his back to her, "use this," he paused briefly, looking over his shoulder at her with a sceptical expression, "If you know _how_ that is."

Taking the tool, Teegan offered him an exaggerated smile before running her fingertips along the seam of his missing part with narrowed eyes, teeth bearing down upon her bottom lip in concentration.

The odd sensation her warm, fleshy fingertips were creating had the small mech hurriedly looking back toward the wall in silence.

This was entirely new and strange for Frenzy. To have a femme—a human femme at that—rooting around his most sensitive parts.

But, as much as he loathed to admit, it certainly felt more pleasant than the sensation of cumbersome, metal digits.

Teegan knew her way around tools fairly well. In the not so distant past she'd often sat and watched as her brother fixed up countless cars in the mechanic shop late into the night.

It was approximately three months later, after insisting she help him one fateful night when she was bored that she became quite competent in such things.

Before that, however, she'd spent many a night cursing in frustration, oftentimes covered in cuts and grazes for her efforts, but her persistence had most definitely paid off in the end.

Basic, alien tools she'd quickly realized, served a similar purpose to human ones. They were just... bulkier.

Biting her lip in concentration again, she lifted the heavy solderer and set to work, neatly sealing the rectangular piece of plating back into its rightful place—the area his shoulder blade would be.

"It's Teegan, by the way." She stated as she began attaching a particularly tricky mechanism back into place onto his outstretched arm.

"Huh?"

"My name. It's Teegan," she informed him with a smile, "not _human_. Now," she added, "turn for me."

Obliging, Frenzy eyed her again as he angled himself toward her, watching in silence as she ran gentle fingertips over the indented metal where he'd impacted the wall.

"You have a ding," she noted with a frown, "but I think I can fix it." She added, voice reassuring and hopeful.

"You _think_?" He repeated with a quirked optic ridge, glancing at her doubtingly beneath his lifted arm.

"Just stay still," she commanded with a roll of her eyes, "and pass me a dent puller," she added, "if you have one."

Singlehandedly opening his subspace, he rooted around for a moment before retrieving the requested tool.

"You know," Frenzy mumbled, folding his arms moodily once she took the offered tool and carefully set about fixing the suction cups around the indentation, "I'd have my brother fix this up for me, but he'd only have a good old gloat about it first."

"That's what brothers are for." Teegan replied as she wound each section of the tool tightly into place, her smile wavering slightly as an unseen tinge of sadness passed behind her gaze, "You might not believe it now, but you will miss it once it's gone."

"If you say so, fleshie." Frenzy replied with a disbelieving scowl, "You haven't met Rumble." A brief bout of silence passed before she broke it with a question.

"So, how's this all your fault anyway?"

Yanking the tool's lever, the metal snapping back into its rightful place with a sharp _pop,_ Frenzy winced, releasing a sharp breath he had been holding in before responding.

"My master, Soundwave, detected a source of red Energon in the region known as Greece. Inevitably getting wind of the intel, Starscream demanded to know the exact coordinates. Said he would retrieve the Energon and deliver it to Megatron first hand," Frenzy paused with a scoff, "we all know that to be Primus trash." Teegan didn't know what to make of his scoffing remark but simply shrugged it off as he continued, "Soundwave refused to tell him, so, he cornered me, tried bullying me into telling him, and in my panic, I gave him the wrong ones."

Teegan looked him over, a tiny smirk lifting the corners of her lips as she proceeded to use her elbow to buff the now non-existent dent.

"What!?" Frenzy snapped incredulously when he noted her expression, "he makes me nervous!"

"Well," Teegan replied at length as she passed the dent puller back to him, "you and me both." Standing back, she watched as the small mech scrutinized her efforts.

"Hmm," Frenzy murmured as he stretched, cricking his neck and winding his arms back and forth, "you know," he added, glancing up at her appraisingly, "you're not so bad. For a _fleshie_."

* * *

 _The air grew cold and the skies dark. Voices, high and shrill with terror lost amongst the distant sounds of gunfire and resounding **booms** renting the air._

 _The ground trembled again, another **boom** , much closer this time, forcing her to release a shrill cry as she covered her ears and fell again, her knee scraping painfully against the torn up pavement._

 _The scattered screams of terror gripped her. Disorientated her. And the blood... so much blood..._

 _His hands sought hers, and blindly, she sought his back, thick dust and smoke choking her, blinding her vision._

 _Gritting her teeth, she managed to stagger upright, clinging with her free hand to the one thing that served as her only tangible guide in the thick smog_ — _the back of his jacket._

 _More screams erupted from somewhere ahead of them, and they jogged to a stop, anxious and uncertain._

 _A large group of people, some bleeding, some limping, rounded the corner and bolted past them._

 _"Quickly, Teegan! Hurry!"_ _His voice, desperate and rasped from inhaling so much dust and smoke rang out somewhere above her, her arm forcefully yanked to turn her in the opposite direction, "This way!"_

 _Prompted from her terrified state, she forced her numb legs into motion, eyes and throat burning insistently_. _A searing pain she swallowed back and blinked away as she clung tighter to him._

 _Loud laughter erupted from somewhere behind them as they caught up to the fleeing group, then a voice, callous and booming rang out, echoing down the deserted street towards them, that of which was ablaze, the shops that lined it engulfed in flames._

 _"That's it! Run little fleshies, run! If you think it will do you any good!"_

 _"Don't look back!" His voice, dear god, his voice, unmistakably terrified but firm filled her head, "whatever you do, don't look back!"_

 _Unable to help herself, through burning tears she looked back, and the sight behind her made her stumble again, her mouth falling open in horror._

 _It was a huge, towering creature. One that was advancing on them with large, quick strides, tossing aside cars and uprooting trees in its steady pursuit._

 _Wait. No. It was a robot..._

 _One bristling with weapons that it proceeded to raise as it inevitably gained on them._

 _A young woman a few paces ahead of them fell as bullets immediately impacted her._

 _Ducking and stumbling as countless others met the same fate, tears began to fall from her eyes again, but for very different reasons this time, and she began to pray aloud through choked sobs. Pray that they would make it out of this..._

 _Screams and desperate shouts continued to be cut short, the lungs from which they were expelled obliterated into nothingness._

 _Helplessly watching as people fell all around her, to her right, her left, in front and behind, sheer, unbridled terror gripped her._

 _The sound of building pressure met their ears again, closer this time._ _Then an explosion, one of bone-shattering proportions that sent debris in all directions as it impacted a nearby building preceded a blinding pain that shot through her skull—and a cry._

 _A cry that made her blood run cold._

 _The grip on her arm slackened, falling away..._

 _"Nooo!"_

Her eyes shot open, her sweat-soaked frame raked with violent, uncontrollable tremors as her lips parted to expel dry heaves from aching lungs.

Her ears trembled with the echo of that final cry, and it was with immediate fear that she realized she'd screamed herself to consciousness.

Eyes darting frantically about her dark surroundings, her jumbled mind took a moment to register where she was.

The familiar, all-consuming guilt crept upon her without pause, and she was forced to feel every bit of it all over again. The grief, the fear, the horror...

Trembling within the darkness, she curled inward, arms weaving around her torso as she tried to curb her ragged breathing, and only then did the onslaught of bitter, cruel words fill her head.

 _Go on, you useless, pathetic excuse for a human being. Punish yourself. It's the least you deserve for what you did. Why did you get to live and he didn't? He was better than you. In every way. It should have been you..._

Slapping her forehead repeatedly in a futile attempt to hush the callous words assaulting her mind, she grit her teeth, tugging painfully upon her long tangle of tresses until her scalp ached.

"Shut up! Just shut up!"

In her anger, the shard of glass still stained with the earlier tinge of blood slipped from within its hiding place in her pocket, spinning slightly before slowing to a stop at her feet.

In silence, she stared at it, willing her rash thoughts away, but they were only emboldened at the sight of the softly glinting object. An object that promised her relief.

A sweet, immeasurable relief that washed over her whenever she carried out her self-inflicted punishment for her countless crimes.

Relenting, she rashly tugged her left sleeve upwards, the slither of glass clutched between rigid fingers without pause.

 _You're nothing. Nothing but a worthless, cowardly maggot._ _Ugly! Selfish! Useless! Pathetic!_

Words, cruel and senseless blows that assaulted her mind over and over as the blade within her grip simultaneously assaulted flesh drove all reason from her mind as she slashed thoughtlessly without rhyme nor rhythm, blood rising thick and fast in the makeshift weapon's wake.

The sting of open flesh barely registered in her nerves. After all, her turbulent emotions were more tenacious at this point.

Sudden, approaching footsteps made her freeze, eyes wide and fearful as they darted upwards to the entrance of her cell, and hurriedly stowing the piece of glass, she frantically rolled her sleeve back down, over the still bleeding injuries now lacing her inner arm.

The sting of pain finally registered as adrenaline and anger began to slowly ebb, but even that couldn't surpass the fear and shock that immediately replaced it as Starscream appeared and paused at the entrance to her cell.

Fixing her with a glare, one that found her swallowing anxiously as all manner of things began to whirl through her head, leaving it an incoherent mess, her heart actually felt as though it froze when the only thing providing a barrier between them—the cell force field—vanished with a _zap_ before he stepped across the threshold.

Teegan immediately shuffled backwards, her back meeting the cold, hard wall as she gaped up at him with uncertainty and fear as he paused before her, arms stiffly folded.

Silence dragged on for what felt an eternity as she desperately tried to decipher his expression, but it remained unreadable. He was shrouded in darkness, making his biting, blood-red gaze all the more terrifying as it continued to bore into her from within the darkness.

Finally, he opened his mouth, and the words that followed encouraged her entire body to thrum violently in response.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice, Teegan?"

A sharp, unbearable silence followed his statement, and no longer able to maintain eye contact, she looked down ashamedly. His gaze was far too intense, almost incinerating.

"Hand it over." He demanded then, hand reaching down and pausing in front of her startled gaze palm up.

So he knew she had the device. He wasn't stupid. Not in the slightest. But now that he was aware of her treachery, it begged the next and most terrifying question of all.

What would he do with her now...?

Would it be wiser to lie? To try and convince him that she didn't have it? That she had lost it? Uh oh. He's waiting. Say something, anything!

"Hand what over? I don't know what you're talking about." Teegan replied with feigned confusion, eyes rolling upwards to study his expression, and she noted with immediate regret his less than favourable reaction to her words.

" _I_ am a good liar," Starscream growled in clipped, low tones, " _you_ , however, are _not_."

Lying clearly wouldn't suffice. Starscream was about to take away the only thing that offered her any chance of escape from this place. The one thing that would give Ashly and her mother a second chance of a better life together.

He would undoubtedly kill her if she refused to hand it over and take it anyway. She had no choice.

Sighing, Teegan drew upright onto her knees before reaching into the back of her jeans and retrieving the device.

Placing it sullenly into his palm, his large fingers curled around it before he straightened, lifting it high above her where he deposited it into his subspace.

"I was going to kill you, you know." He rasped softly as his subspace hissed closed, arms returning to his sides, hands forming fists as he continued to stare down at her.

Teegan gulped, a curious buzzing filling her ears as his words rolled around in her head. It was strange. Strange to hear something so abrupt, so cold, said aloud.

Even though she had already convinced herself he would likely kill her, it still struck her to the core to hear him actually confirm it. To hear him say it aloud. But, for whatever strange and absurd reason, she was still breathing.

"Then why haven't you?" She finally managed to croak, shifting her position upon the cold, hard floor and distracting herself by picking at a scab on the exposed portion of her knee.

"You'll see." He replied smoothly, offering her a cryptic smile when she glanced up at him again, confusion creasing her brow.

"More humiliating punishments?" Teegan finally asked, dropping her gaze to her feet as she awaited his answer.

"Well, clearly they haven't worked," he replied before adding snidely, " _yet."_ He watched in satisfaction as she scowled softly, still staring determinedly at her feet, _"_ And in answer to your question," he added, "no. Not exactly."

Confused once more, she glanced up at him again, drawing her knees to her chest as she studied him fixedly for a long, silent moment.

Deciding against questioning him, she studied her feet again. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.

"What did you think?" He rasped derisively, "That it would help you escape?" When she offered no answer, choosing to sit in sullen silence, he continued. "Even with the scanner, you would have had to get past at least a dozen armed guards, with no protection, no weapons," he paused briefly with a scoff, "not to mention _Ravage_." She scowled again, and he noted it with growing satisfaction. "No. You would have been dead before you even reached the Energon storage vaults."

Shaking his head, his mouth curled into a mocking grin.

Another brief moment passed in silence, his smug expression stirring anger within her veins, and releasing a soft breath, she finally spoke up, voice quiet, but unmistakably cold and clear.

"You greatly underestimate me."

For perhaps the first time since meeting him, she watched, momentarily startled as he threw his head back and laughed. It was rasped, throaty, rumbling through the soles of her boots until she was forced to cover her ears with a pained grimace.

Starscream's jeering laughter prompted pride to get the better of her, and before she could properly consider her words, they tumbled forth loudly from her lips.

"Did you ever wonder who it was that managed to take down Astrotrain?"

Abruptly, Starscream stopped laughing, his mirth vanishing almost instantaneously, a hint of uncertainty replacing it as he looked down, studying her again.

But, as quick as it was there, it was gone.

"I don't believe you." He finally rasped as he continued to study her, suspiciously now. He needn't ask as to what it was the femme was insinuating.

"Choose to believe me or not, it doesn't matter to me." Teegan replied with a shrug, picking at her knee again as a small, sly smile found its way onto her lips when she noted his expression.

Yes, little did he know that it was in fact her, with the help of some others, who'd taken the triple changer down in a very close and scary call.

 _"Well, well, well," Astrotrain jeered through the jagged hole splitting the brick wall, a single, red eye roving over the handful of terrified humans pressed to the back of the pub he'd herded them into, "got my fair share of squishies to choose from here."_

 _Shrieking as the Decepticon reached in, they all began pushing and shoving at each other in an attempt to avoid his probing fingers._

 _An eldery woman wasn't quite quick_ _enough, and like a snake, Astrotrain gleefully snatched her up between thumb and forefinger before raising her to eye level with a triumphant grin._

 _Panicked, people began throwing what little they could find at the giant robot, but it had no effect, merely bouncing off of him._

 _An idea forming, Teegan desperately scoured the nearby shelves, then the cupboards, relief flooding her as she found a single, dust-covered bottle of Vodka sitting at the back._

 _Shouting for Josh who was scouring a pile of cleaning apparatus in the corner in blind panic, she motioned wildly._

 _"Josh, chuck me your lighter!"_

 _"But it was my dad's." He cried, spinning to face her with a hesitant frown, "it's the only thing I've got left!"_

 _"Just give me it. Now!" She cried, glancing over her shoulder at the elderly woman wildly._

 _Currently held upside down, she was now being prodded roughly by the Decepticon as he laughed with glee._ _Relenting, Josh retrieved it from his jacket, throwing it to her._

 _Catching it deftly, she reached with her free hand into her pocket, retrieving a crumpled packet of tissues, and yanking off the lid of the bottle, quickly stuffed one into its neck before flicking the lighter cap open and setting the naked flame to it._

 _The flames engulfed the tissue almost immediately, and she stepped forward away from the others, out into the middle of the decimated room where Astrotrain caught sight of her._

 ** _I hope this works..._**

 _Losing interest in the elderly woman who had since gone limp from shock, he tossed her aside carelessly as he observed the young human, her feet planted firmly, mouth a thin line of grim determination as she gripped the flaming bottle tightly._

 _"Ooh, the younger meat bags are much more fun," Astrotrain declared excitedly, reaching into the large void again in order to make a grab for her, "They have more fight in them!"_

 _Swiftly, Teegan dove out of the way, avoiding his probing fingers by inches, and with an almighty heft, threw the flaming bottle at him._

 _The result was far more powerful than she had expected._

 _Fire billowed out, unchecked and ferocious as the glass smashed into smithereens upon impact._

 _The giant robot howled in mingled shock and agony as his hand immediately withdrew from the building and clutched at his eye, the entire pub trembling as he stumbled about on the uneven threshold outside._

 _An almighty crash followed as the Decepticon l_ o _st his footing, thick dust raining down upon them from the rafters as he impacted the ground._

 _All was silent and still, the huddled group of humans waving away the dust that arose from the disturbance._

 _"You got the bastard!" Josh whooped from her rear as two others took the opportunity to quickly collect the elderly woman from the nearby ground, "I didn't think you had it in you, but damn, you actually got him!"_

 _"Waste of a perfectly good drink if you ask me." Teegan murmured in reply as they all stumbled hurriedly down the half obliterated staircase to the lower level of the building in order to make their escape._

 _Josh's resounding snigger was cut short as they took in the chaos before them._

 _The exit was now blocked by rubble, their only remaining option to crawl over_ Astrotrain's outflung arm that had come crashing through the wall.

 _"I-I think it's dead," Josh whispered, clutching her arm far too tightly for comfort as he studied its blank face and darkened eyes, "I think you've actually killed it..."_

 _"Ouch!" Teegan breathed, batting his hand away, her wary gaze all for the motionless 'con, "no," she murmured quietly, shaking her head grimly, "he's just unconscious." J_ _osh looked upon her doubtfully._

 _"I've seen one go down before," She added when she noted his expression, "all its colour drained away, and it turned sort of ashy grey."_

 _"Dead or not, that's our only way out of here." Josh returned with an apprehensive look, indicating to the 'cons arm. Teegan nodded mutely._

 _Hauling himself cautiously up onto the metal surface, Josh slowly turned back toward her, offering his hand._ _Taking it, she allowed him to haul her up before mirroring his actions and helping the person behind her._

 _"Here," Teegan whispered moments later with a grin, placing a small, familiar object into his palm as they slid off of Astrotrain's limb and out into the open street, "your lucky lighter."_

Thoughts, unbidden, ran through Starscream's processor as he continued to study the femme carefully. She could be lying of course, but Astrotrain's injuries were consistent with some sort of human firepower...

Besides, how else could she have known this information?

He no longer knew what to make of this human. She was unlike any others he'd ever come across, and, for reasons he didn't quite fully understand nor care to consider, he had not yet killed her.

Shaking his helm free of such thoughts, he returned to the matter at hand, demeanour shifting and becoming apathetic and cold once more.

"The sooner you accept your fate, the easier it will be." The jet stated, watching as she scowled again, her gaze fixated on his feet, but with his next words, each one strong in its own right and deliberately chosen, her eyes darted back up to his, wide and glistening.

"There is no escape. You belong to me now. You are _mine_."

His words, cold, possessive, and carried on nothing more than a growl, sent a shiver, unexpected and bristling down her spine.

Teegan merely stared up at him, the words echoing within her ears for a few long moments. It took some time for her to find her voice, and longer yet for her to summon a proper response. It was angry, bitter.

"I am not something to be owned."

"You've no choice in the matter." Starscream returned darkly. "None whatsoever."


	9. Plot

"Good night for a hard flight, aye, brother?" Thundercracker bellowed as he dipped sharply, deftly cutting a swath through a thick, dark cloud bank.

"Indeed." Starscream conceded moodily, ascending slightly to avoid the same gathering of clouds as they were undoubtedly filled with rain; the only thing he hated more than the irksome inhabitants of this mud-ball planet.

Thundercracker, finally realising his commander had flown slightly off course, ascended higher to draw level with him once more.

"How's the stockpile coming along?" He inquired as he reached the Aerospace Commander's side.

"Reasonably." Starscream replied at length, "All things considered."

"And does Megatron suspect?"

"When doesn't he?" Starscream snapped, the question stirring his short temper.

Amused, Thundercracker let out a low, rumbling chuckle before addressing him with another question, his voice taking on a much more serious tone.

"What makes you so certain it will work this time?"

Starscream didn't miss the underlying note of doubt in his Second-in-command's voice, but, unlike most mechs', Thundercracker was one of the few who could be so direct with the fearsome Seeker without much consequence.

"I have a plan," Starscream replied cryptically, "one I believe to be quite solid, but I am biding my time. Rashness and impatience have proven to be my biggest downfalls in the past, I know that now, and I will not be so foolish as to let either guide my actions again. Once I am ready, I will make my move and take over the Decepticons.

"And the humans... what will happen to them?"

The note of concern in his brothers' voice was evident, and he realised then that he had clearly been giving the humans' fate some thought.

Unlike Skywarp and himself, who carried out given orders to the letter with an apathetic approach, Thundercracker wasn't always as compliant, even going as far as to voice his reservations in the past.

But, unlike other things he'd let slip, Thundercracker's obvious sympathy for these insignificant creatures irked him.

"I haven't really bothered giving it much thought." Starscream replied crisply, "I suppose after we leave and return to Cybertron that they will attempt to rebuild their pitiful world. Whatever's left of it, anyway." He added in a careless grunt.

"So they won't be needlessly slaughtered?"

"I wouldn't bother wasting the firepower." Starscream rasped indignantly, "As long as they gather us a substantial amount of energy, I couldn't care less what fate awaits them."

All was silent for a brief moment before Thundercracker broke it with another question, this one catching him off guard.

"And the human femme? Where does she come into the current equation?"

Silence fell heavily between the two jets, Starscream seemingly considering his brothers' words. Truth be told, he hadn't expected Thundercracker, nor anyone else for that matter, to address the strange and unusual relationship he'd developed with the irksome human—if it could even be considered as such—nor his plans for her (if any).

Finally, he spoke, and his tone was low, obscure.

"Much to my chagrin, and admitted awe, I recently discovered that the femme had stolen something from me." Starscream paused briefly, "A tracker. One of my own design and creation."

"So you killed her." Thundercracker replied presumptuously, dipping lower in order to cut a swath through another large cloud with his wingtip.

It wasn't phrased as a question, but more as a statement of fact.

"No."

"Wait," The blue jet responded with disbelief, "you let her live?" If Thundercracker had been in his root mode, he would have stopped short at what his audials had just processed.

"I was going to kill her." Starscream replied calmly, "However, the femme's actions have demonstrated potential usefulness, and she has far more mettle than any of the other worthless creatures of her kind. Once I break her, and, I assure you, I will, she will make for a rather useful pawn if needed in the right circumstances." Besides," Starscream added, "she recently displayed some level of mechanical competence when fixing up that little scrapheap, Frenzy. Her usefulness is the one thing keeping her alive right now."

A low growl of thunder suddenly rippled across the darkening landscape, distinct even over the combined roar of the two Seekers' engines.

A torrent of cold droplets followed shortly after, the skies illuminated by a single flash of lightening, its spindly tendrils reaching across the horizon before fading to black as another rumble of thunder, louder than the last, vibrated through their murky surroundings.

"Curse the unceasing moisture on this planet!" Starscream growled, attempting to shake his wings free of the frigid substance to no avail.

Thundercracker, however, had an advantage, and immediately put his powers to use, his sonic boom rattling the very molecules of the air, dispersing the majority of cloud surrounding them.

With the clouds clearing, they caught sight of the distant, hazy lights of Nexus upon the horizon, and simultaneously put on a spurt of speed.

Landing upon the damp earth of the Citadel boundary a few moments later, Starscream grimaced, the sensation of water crawling uncomfortably through every conceivable crevice of his body unbearable.

The majority of it had become logged in his arms and torso, a consequence of his body's positioning when transformed.

Reaching cover with quick, long strides, the Seeker used his internal heating system to dissipate most of it, but, just to be certain, decided he would have his most favoured slave give him a once-over.

After all, he needed a welcome distraction after such a long and tedious scouting mission.

* * *

With force, Starscream pushed open the heavy door to the main hall and briskly entered, snatching a cube of Energon from a bowing drone before stalking over to the vacant throne.

Seating himself, he wasted no time in seeking her out, optics shifting left to right as he scanned the mass of humans working laboriously in the vast space before him.

 _Ah, there she was._

The femme's mass of dark, unruly hair and unnaturally pale complexion made her fairly easy to spot among the others. As usual, she was sat at the far back, trying to be as small and as insignificant as possible.

 _Well, femme, there's no hiding from me..._

As if sensing his gaze on her, her own eyes turned upwards, meeting his with unease, and he immediately beckoned to her with a single digit.

On the opposite side of the hall, Teegan sighed softly, swallowing back her pride and rising obediently in order to approach him, but a hand placed gently on her forearm stopped her in her tracks.

"Teegan, don't," Razia was staring up at her imploringly, voice hushed and strained for fear the winged Decepticon would overhear her, "he can't be trusted."

"It's OK," Teegan murmured, attempting to offer her a reassuring smile, but it just came off as weak, sad, "if I don't do as he says he will..." Teegan trailed off, eyes instinctively wandering toward Ashly.

The little girl was currently attempting to help her mother turn over a rather heavy-looking toaster oven, the pair of them breaking into silent giggles when Amy-Rose lost her footing and toppled backwards, falling into a pile of debris.

"I cant give him a reason." Teegan added in a murmur; expression softening slightly at the display before her, but as the gravity of the situation weighed upon her once more, faded to one of woe and sadness.

Razia followed her gaze, and with a grimace of understanding, relinquished her hold on her arm.

"Just... be careful."

Teegan nodded solemnly in response, just as Starscream's cold, rasped voice rang out across the hall toward her.

"I will not ask you again."

Quickly making her way through the throngs of people who hastily parted out of her way, Teegan finally reached him.

Pausing at his feet, she fought to keep her face emotionless as she waited for him to speak, and it felt like an eternity before he finally did.

"Due to the accursed nature of your planet," Starscream hissed, studying her far below him coldly, "I'm finding the gaps between my upper plating in need of some attention, and your small hands should be perfectly suited for such a task. So," he added snidely, gesturing to himself with a sweep of his hand, "when you are ready, you may begin."

Studying the young femme in silence, he waited patiently for realisation to dawn on her, and he wasn't disappointed when it did.

The little colour that existed in her face drained, a tinge of dread passing behind her gaze as it travelled upwards, taking in the large forearms adorned with firepower, the huge, soaring wings protruding either side of his broad chest, a chest brimming with further firepower that could level an entire city if he so wished...

Rising further still, she finally found his eyes, malicious amusement twinkling within them as he held her gaze, a slight smile beginning to curl one side of his mouth.

Beckoning with an upward jerk of his head, further dread washed over her as she realised that he wished for her to climb...

Looking around blankly, she found that there was nothing that could aid her in such a task, and with wide, anxious eyes, found his again, the grin playing across his mouth widening into one of cruel amusement.

Biting the inside if her lip in determination, she approached the right hand side of the throne, below where his arm was resting, and attempted to find purchase using the strange markings carved into its surface, but they were too shallow, the added slickness of the stone making her boots slide against it uselessly.

Starscream watched her futile effort nonchalantly, huffs of frustration reaching his audials now and then, her face beginning to redden with the expended effort of trying to reach him.

Eventually, the sounds she was emitting grew into ones of irritation as she slipped for the umpteenth time, and it was only then that Starscream relented, reaching down toward her with an exasperated roll of his optics.

A breathless whimper left her lips as his large, slender fingers—unexpectedly warm—closed around her firmly, vertigo overwhelming her senses as he lifted her upwards with speed and deposited her roughly atop the arm of the throne.

Briefly losing her balance, she swayed precariously close to the edge, face wrought with terror as she caught sight of the ground a considerable distance below; not high enough to kill her, but certainly high enough to cause some damage if she were to accidentally slip.

Opening his subspace, as she anxiously inched forward away from the edge, Starscream reached into it, speaking calmly as he did.

"This was retrieved at my request from among your other meaningless, human detritus." Starscream set the object in question into her palm before continuing, "But it should make your task considerably easier."

Eyes wide, she glanced down at it. It was a large, wooden scrubbing brush. One which felt sturdy and well made.

This would indeed make her job much easier, but whether that was for her own benefit or his, she was uncertain.

Starscream laid his arm down flat alongside her, hand palm up, long fingers settling into a relaxed state ready for her to begin.

With his free hand, he drank deeply from his cube, Teegan quickly kneeling next his fingers in order to begin scouring away any residue and debris gathered in the joints there.

Long, silent moments passed as she maintained determined concentration, not daring to look up and catch his eye. At this level, he was more intimidating than ever—if that were even possible.

Occasionally, she could still sense his gaze on her though.

Managing to scrub the joints of his fingers clear after some time, she breathlessly shifted downward, kneeling alongside his palm before setting to work there.

It was indeed a much easier process with the aid of the brush, but she soon encountered trouble when she realised she couldn't properly reach the other half of his palm, not without the option of climbing onto it anyway...

Hesitantly, she looked up, stealing a glance at him. His mouth was pinched closed, eyes focused ahead as he studied his human slave force and absently swirled the contents of his drink.

Biting her lip anxiously, she debated on what to do.

If she paused for too long, he would surely notice and reprimand her. But on the other hand, if she began clambering all over him, he might react in an even worse way...

Sucking in a deep, calming breath, she decided on the latter and cautiously knelt forwards, sinking down onto his palm with as little pressure as she could muster.

Hastily resuming her task, she again felt his gaze on her, but if he had any objections to her actions, he didn't voice them.

It was some long, silent moments later that he finally did speak, and it made her jump out of her skin, but she quickly realised that he wasn't actually addressing her, but someone in his head, his expression one of a miffed nature when his voice suggested anything but.

"No, my Lord, we found nothing of notice," the jet practically purred, "Thundercracker is due to brief you, yes. I sent him in my place so he should be with you momentarily."

His voice, low, gravelly, and like silk, rumbled through her, sending a strangely delightful thrum through her bones.

"You are most gracious, my Lord."

With a small click, he released the commlink button positioned at the side of his helm before lowering a clenched fist atop the arm of the throne with a growl.

"Irksome old fool." Starscream muttered into his cube, voice returning to its usual seething rasp as the fingers of his free hand curled inward irately, making her flinch.

"Get on with it." He snapped once he noticed she had paused, hesitantly waiting for him to recall her presence.

She certainly didn't need to be told twice.

Approximately half hour had passed once she finally finished, and she realised with dread that she not only had his right side to complete, but still had to somehow reach it...

Deciding she wouldn't dare ask him to assist her, she studied every panel, every seamless curve and fold of his armour before spying a long, rectangular grill located above his bicep.

Perhaps she could use it to climb?

Tucking the brush under her arm, Teegan cautiously reached up, grasping onto the vents before hauling herself upward, making steady progress toward his large shoulder panel above.

Once setting foot onto the slick surface, she found a ridge spanning the length of his back that connected both shoulders, just wide enough to walk across.

Carefully, she made the short journey across, using the back of his helm for support, and reaching his other shoulder panel, used the corresponding gaps in his armour to aid her decent.

Landing next to his right forearm nimbly with a light thud, she breathlessly approached his palm before kneeling upon it.

Starscream's long fingers flexed in an involuntary response once she began rubbing down the gaps between his plating in long, broad strokes, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Glancing upwards some moments later, she realised at this level that she could see through the large, arching window opposite. It had grown dark outside, but she could just make out a cluster of trees upon a hilltop in the far distance.

 _What direction was that? If she headed that way, where would she end up? Was it untouched? Or destroyed like most of the places she'd come across so far? How far had the invasion reached? Was the entire world this way?_

 _Perhaps, if she'd been braver, she and the others (others she'd reluctantly grown to care for) could have already been far away from here. Someplace safe where they could wait everything out..._

"You're thinking of escaping again, aren't you?"

Starscream's rasped voice cut through her thoughts like a blade, the closeness of it making her jolt.

He must have finally grown bored with watching the other slaves, for he'd evidently returned his attention to her and caught her staring out of the adjacent window red handed.

"No." She managed to choke, eyes immediately downcast.

"Liar." He shot back, leisurely stretching out his right leg and slouching lower into his seat. Studying her for a long moment, he proceeded to address her snidely with a question.

"Is that what you seek? Some sort of short-lived freedom? The opportunity to return to your old, menial, pointless life?"

Teegan said nothing, eyes still downcast as she determinedly buffed the joint of his index finger, but her bitter silence only fuelled his amusement.

"At least now you have purpose." He stated with a flick of his free hand, gaze sweeping the mass of laboriously working humans at his feet before returning to her.

Despite herself, a small, bitter laugh escaped her lips, and finally forcing herself to meet his eye, she shook her head disbelievingly.

"For your information," she stated sullenly, "we already had purpose before _you lot_ showed up here, and besides," she added pointedly, "you actually consider _this_ " she paused again, motioning indignantly to their surroundings, "purpose?"

Starscream's trademark grin appeared then, and she briefly caught sight of sharp, pearly white fangs at the edges of his steel grey mouth.

Staring up into eyes the colour of rubies, her anger slowly began to ebb, and with it, she found she couldn't look too long, too deeply.

Feeling suddenly rather hot, Teegan cast her eyes downward once more, quickly shrugging off her jacket and tying it tightly around her narrow waist.

Taking a brief moment to wipe the sweat beading her forehead with her bare forearm, she quickly grabbed the brush again, but not before noting Starscream's expression.

The Seekers' eyes were slightly narrowed, and she realised then that he was studying the multitude of injuries spanning the length of her bared arms.

Discreetly, she turned them inwards, away from his gaze.

But Starscream didn't address it. Something she expected, but admittedly found a relief.

"Despite the pathetic, innumerable weaknesses of your kind," Starscream drawled, watching with satisfaction as the simplicity of his tone grated her nerves and stoked her temper, "I suppose it still has its uses." He paused, before adding snidely, "Yes, servitude suits you well."

Common sense pleaded with her to remain silent, but as it had done on numerous occasions now, her temper prevailed.

"If you think we were put on this Earth to serve _you_ ," Teegan ground out quietly, anger maintaining the connection between their eyes, anger momentarily bringing strength to replace fear, "you are sorely mistaken."

Crimson eyes narrowed slightly, but the earlier coldness was fading away to something else, and she again noticed the way in which he was studying her. It was strange, pensive.

Yet, as quick as it was there, it was gone.

"You're in an uncertain world right now, Teegan." He smiled at her humorously, eyes shining dangerously as they continued to bore into her, "you would do well to remember that I can help determine whether you live or die."

Starscream silently triumphed to see surprise crack her icy disdain ever so slightly, and with his next words, saw it vanish wholly, fear and uncertainty taking its place.

"It would be wise to also remember that it's not just _your_ life I could so easily end."

Hungrily, he looked toward the human slaves, his eyes immediately falling upon Ashly and her mother.

Teegan followed his gaze, expression faltering when she noted its focus, and only once they shifted back to his, wide and anxious, did she shed the last of the cold defiance still present in her stance.

* * *

Deep in the bowls of Nexus, Shockwave's only exhibited surprise in response to the results displayed upon his vid screen was a slight quirk of his rectangular helm.

"Lord Megatron," The monoptic intoned monotonously into his commlink, "I think you should see this."

* * *

 **A/N:** **Hello lovely people! I hope you're all safe and well.** **I know I'm really taking my time to develop Screamer and Teegan's "relationship", but I just feel realistically that this is how things would progress. He is a Decepticon after all.**

 **But I promise it won't be much longer before an upcoming event changes his entire view/opinion of her and they consequently bond. :)**


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